The way of salvation
by Draguna Doragon
Summary: The team at Atlantis unlock a new lab in the city and get a LOT more than they bargained for. Poker Hot action, Sci-fi humour and of course hot romance. There are three main characters that all get themselves into a right Wraith Pickle. will the be able to resist the mission? will they manage to survive the lives they now lead? M for a reason contains lemon and gets dark in places.
1. Chapter 1

"So what does it do?"

"That is what I'm trying to find out, obviously."

"No need to be a jerk Rodney."

"No need to waste my time with stupid questions then, _Radek."_

"Boys." Teyla pressed her fingers to her forehead, anticipating yet another headache from having to babysit these 'men' from bickering. Again.

"He started it."

"And I'll finish it if you two don't figure it out soon."

"Ronon." Teyla sighed again. "I have enough on my hands without you pressing matters."

"Got it!" Rodney turned and grinned at his comrades like a cat who got the cream. Funnily enough, no one seemed to reflect his mood.

They had been combing once again through Atlantis' systems for new areas of the city to awaken and explore, which had led them to this 23rd level laboratory, straight above the gate room, puddle jumper bay, and several other levels already explored. However the door had been locked with some sort of elaborate gem device in the middle of the door. Rodney referred to this as an ancient version of a padlock that needed a specific combination of wave frequencies to open. That was the easy, albeit time consuming part. What Zalenka and McKay were arguing about was the meaning of the translation above the door. "It should open momentarily."

"To the observatory."

"No, Radek, it is _not_ an observatory." Rodney rose to his feet and pointed to the mural above the door. "It clearly says that the research carried out in this lab was the way 'forward' for all species. That _clearly _indicates that their ascension research is in here."

"No Rodney, it says the way outward and onward."

"Same difference."

"No it isn't."

"Yes it-"

"Enough!" Teyla yelled, almost snarling when she realised she had lost her temper before Ronon had. Not a good sign. "Can you open it Rodney?"

"Well...yes I can _now. _I-"

"Then please." Teyla nodded to the door. "Do so."

Rodney gulped nervously, chuckled in his throat and opened the door.

After 5 hours of listening McKay and Zalenka arguing was enough to make any same person mad. Teyla simply hoped whatever they find would be worth the pounding in her temples. After all, since John was off elsewhere (_conveniently) _she was in charge.

The doors swished open, causing a massive cloud of dust to erupt out the doorway and into the group's faces. After the initial spluttering and waving of hands, the dust settled once again and they pressed into the room. Teyla and Ronon took point, the scientists in the middle and the two extra detail at their six. After they declared the coast was clear, Rodney practically dived onto the control consol in the room. It was after all a laboratory, but as of yet the subject that was being studied here was unknown. Rodney's competitive need to be right was evident from the furious pace his fingers were tapping over his table interface.

"Surely we have explored all of Atlantis _now, _right?"

"Well, we are told about 45% of the city has been explored and cleared now."

"Hell no." Ronon grumbled. "And why isn't Sheppard here?"

"I do not know. Perhaps we shall ask the good colonel when we see him next."

"You can count on that." Ronon pursed his lips, brushing more dust off his coat. "And he can clean my coat too." Teyla chuckled, lazily looking around the room as the two smartest men in the city practically drooled over their tablets. In the years she had known Rodney, he always looked like an excited little boy when he found something new in Atlantis to play with.

"Dear God..."

"We were both wrong Rodney."

"But this is-"

"So much better."

"Yes I was about to say-"

"We should get Beckett up here."

"On it." Rodney looked over to the rest of the search team to see confused faces. "We found something-"

"Amazing!" Zalenka was practically dancing around the consol.

"Yes, I was _about-to-say-that._"

"What have you found? And why do you need Beckett?" Teyla folded her arms and regarded the hyperactive men before her.

"Well...he could probably explain this much better than we could."

"The ancients were researching-"

"-an alternate food source for the Wraith." Rodney chipped in, determined to get the last word in.

"...a way to infiltrate the Wraith, you mean?" Rodney then mirrored his friends' confused faces, turned on Zalenka, and marched over to him.

"That is _not _what the tablet says."

"Yes it does."

"NO, it DOESN'T. Really Zalenka I'm starting to think you can't even _read_ ancient!" they were toe to toe again and about to release another onslaught of educated threats again, when thankfully they were stopped.

"Boys!" Teyla's headache was growing. "I'll call Dr Beckett for...whatever you need him for. You keep working."

"Will do."

Teyla and Ronon shared a look as the 'boys' began squabbling again, and she pressed in the talk button on her radio.

"Can Dr Beckett come to the 23rd level Laboratory in the central tower please."

"Ay I can Teyla. What would it be a'bout?"

"...Rodney and Radek can explain that better than I can."

"I see. I'll be there in a tick then."

"Teyla out."

"What exactly do you need me for?" Carlson had been stood there for an hour and hadn't been addressed by anyone.

"Shhh!" Carlson sighed and turned his frustrations to Teyla.

"Teyla, I could be doin' important work in my lab on the wraith DNA we extracted on our last-"

"I could _also_ be doing other things right now. However..."

"That's it." Ronon barged forward, grabbed Zalenka by his shoulder, pulled him off the consol and dropped him down in front of the group. "What-are-we-still-doing-here?"

"Well-"

"We found the last project the ancients were working on." Rodney finally peeled away from the main consol, and pressed his headset. "Sam, you are going to want to get up here and see what we found in this lab. And bring Sheppard with you."

"Seriously?!" Ronan released a very shaken Zalenka. "Why don't you call up half of Atlantis up here? Then keep _them _waiting whilst you call the other half?"

"Ronon. Be calm. I'm sure Rodney isn't keeping us in suspense in the name of theatrics. Right Rodney?"

"Y-yes. Of c-course not."

"Alright Rodney, Radek. Why am I up here? What is so amazing that you've called us up here?" Sam shared a sceptic look with John Sheppard. They'd heard that Rodney and Radek had an 'amazing' discovery that required their 'urgent' attention. John wagered that it was a new toy that would improve power consumption or temperature regulation. Sam voted a power source. They both agreed it could have waited till the morning.

"This."

Rodney and Zalenka shared a look, and entered commands into the main consol. A hologram appeared in the middle of the room, causing everyone stood near the middle of the room quiet understandably jump out of their skins.

"Rodney?!" Ronon was one of those people.

"Sorry. Just bear with us."

The golden floating image looked like a waterfall of ancient writing on the left and right sides, with what looked like a molecule floating and twisting in the middle.

"That looks like...but that's..."

"Colonel?" John asked, noticing that Sam's mouth had opened wide as well. "Something good up there?"

"It is, isn't it?" Rodney looked like he was going to spit out a rainbow at any moment. Ronon on the other hand...

"Someone please explain why I have been stood here for 7 hours now?!"

"That molecule in the middle of the screen looks to be a combination of wraith receptor proteins, catalytic protein groups and some components I don't recognise...but I can guess what they're for." Beckett turned to Sam, who took that as her cue to elaborate.

"If my Ancient is correct, the text describes a group of scientists who were working apart from the other Ancients. Not a rebel group, but an alternative solution group."

"They were looking for another answer to the 'wraith problem' other than fighting them or running away." Rodney again grinned.

"And they were close before they had to leave the city...but..." Sam moved to look at the other side of the hologram. "...their project was cancelled. They needed-"

"A test subject." Zalenka grinned.

"What for?" John stood a very exhausted and testy Ronon and Teyla. He was also permanently on edge when the words 'test subject' were used...

"They were experimenting with Wraith tissue...analysing-oh gods." Samantha Carter put her hands over her mouth, and only continued when she realised that no one else had gotten to the same part of the text as her. "The ancients had taken the remains of humans that the Wraith had fed on and analysed exactly what the Wraith needed to sustain themselves. They carried out experiments on humans after that...then the high council intervened." She read a little more. "Turns out they hadn't informed the council of that part of their research and had the plug pulled on their research project. But-"

"Not before they made this." Rodney pulled a white sheet off a large machine in the corner of the room. It looked like an enormous ancient version of a vending machine. There were tubes connecting different parts of the machine together, and a dull yellow fluid was actively flowing through the tubes and the machine. "The ancients had finished their research enough to make an alternate food source for the Wraith. A synthetic food source!"

"From experimenting on humans." Teyla looked horrified. "The ancients experimented-on _humans_?"

"It would appear so." Sam stepped through the hologram, which deactivated, and she stopped next to the new device. "And this would replace their need to feed on humans?"

"It makes a pouch of this fluid which contains that molecule that was displayed earlier, and the pouch is as permeable as human skin so a Wraith's normal feeding mechanism works. Sam. Power packs Sam. _This-_" Rodney pointed at the machine. "-eliminates the Wraith's need to feed on humans."

"There's a catch." Sam looked from Rodney to Zalenka, who was the more forthcoming with shortfalls in their discoveries. "If there wasn't, the ancients would have given this discovery to the wraith to save their lives, and the lives of the humans in this galaxy. Why didn't they?"

"Like you read earlier, they needed a test subject to prove it worked. They couldn't get a Wraith to try it on as they were already under siege at that point."

"Yes Zalenka, which only means that they didn't get chance to try it. But their research says that this worked."

"Theoretically." Zalenka added. This in turn earned a glare and a half from his eager college. "Not...proven. And besides, that wasn't all they were doing in this lab."

"Oh?" John cocked his head to one side, and shared a concerned look with Sam and the others. "What else were the ancients that experimented on humans, experimenting with?"

"It's not as relevant as the power packs."

"Really?" John stepped further into the scene, trying to get his head round this. "You've already named them?"

"Well-yes."

"Focus people." Sam brought the attention back to Zalenka. "And you've found they did what?"

"They created this." Zalenka skipped to the opposite side of the room and pressed a series of buttons on the wall. Four pods lowered from the ceiling and 'plugged' into the walls. They looked like stasis pods, but there were all manners of different tubes and wires suspended from the roofs of the pods. "I bet you can't guess what they are."

"Stasis pods." John chirped up, looking glad to have moved away from the human goo bags. That is what they were after all. A liquid form of everything the Wraith feed off a human for. It made him shudder with the thought of how the Ancients figured out _that one_.

"Wrong." Rodney rolled his eyes, as if it was obvious.

"Rodney." Zalenka pouted.

"Alright, have your moment. Che." Rodney tutted, and made a show of jumping down 'off his pedestal' to the same level as everyone else to listen to what his utterly wrong colleague had to say.

Once he had everyone's attention, Zalenka cleared his throat and began again.

"What tactic do we humans back on Earth have at our disposal, which the Ancients didn't with the Wraith?" it took a few moments, before Rodney lost his patience.

"Espionage. The Ancients would stand out on a Hive Ship."

"Yes..._Rodney_...until they created _this _device."

"And it does what exactly?" Carlson didn't like the look of all those wires and tubes inside the pod. They were obviously designed for injecting 'something' into whoever occupied the pods.

"It turns you into a Wraith."

"What?!" The Group were outraged and took a huge step backwards.

"Why the hell would the Ancients want to _become _Wraiths for _any _reason?" Sam was getting more and more disturbed the longer she was in this lab. She was learning some truths about their idolised ancients that didn't exactly sit well with her.

"It was designed so that they would be able to infiltrate the Wraith, and get intel, cause havoc, etcetera."

"But to become a Wraith... Such a transformation would be extensive and permanent." Carlson gulped, still staring at those wires. "And it would be a total transformation. With their anatomy being changed as well. They would be a perfect Wraith."

"Well they wouldn't be a very good spy if they didn't pull off the right look." John was getting that sinking feeling when something else popped into his head. "Wait...a _perfect _Wraith would mean they would have the same 'dietary needs', right?"

"Which is why _this_ project was _also_ scrapped." Rodney chirped up. "Which is why I said this wasn't a 'useful' discovery. I don't exactly see anyone volunteering to become a damn Wraith, Zalenka."

"This project was obviously designed to go hand in hand with the power pack project. Like you said, the Ancients wouldn't become a Wraith only to have to feed on humans anyway. They would use the power packs."

"But as the power pack project was shot down due to its inhuman origins and lack of a living Wraith to prove its effectiveness, by proxy the Wraith Spy project was also packed up."

"Heh, Wraith Spy project. Good one Sam." John chuckled, and looked to the very disturbed and exhausted room. Other than Zalenka and McKay of course. They looked like it was Christmas morning, and they were arguing who's present is cooler. "So let me ask the obvious question. How are these projects useful to _us?_"

"Hello? Power packs? Instead of dead humans? How is that not an obvious monumental discovery?" Rodney rolled his eyes, clearly feeling his discovery was underappreciated.

"Never been tested. And we're fresh out of Wraith prisoners." John quipped, looking to Zalenka.

"The data on this project has extensive information on Wraith physiology, similarities and differences between their system compatibilities and ours, and of course their research on how they feed."

"True, I could do with having a look at that." Dr Beckett walked over to Zalenka's tablet. "May I?"

"Oh course Doctor."

"Hay! The feeding research was due to the ancient research team collaborating on both these projects, not just the spy project."

"Rodney, you don't look pretty when you're jealous." John grinned, making the Canadian huff to himself sulkily.

"I'm not." Rodney took a deep breath. "I am not Jealous. I am simply astounded that no one sees that the power packs will save millions of lives. More than studying the Wraith Physiology."

"I agree if we can prove it works." Beckett added, not looking away from the tablet. "Zalenka can you have this transferred to my lab?" Zalenka nodded, and eagerly got to work.

"I'll get a power pack sent to your lab for testing, yes?" Rodney tried not to sound desperate. "erm, Dr Beckett?"

"The chemical formula seems sound Rodney. It needs testing on a Wraith."

"Then Sheppard can call Todd."

The entire room stopped what they were doing, saying, thinking, and stared at Rodney.

"Sorry, Rodney." John seemed about to have Rodney arrested and sent to the medical bay. And from the look on Beckett's face, he may have agreed with that decision. "Did you seriously just say that I pick up the phone, call Todd, the Wraith who on every occasion we have been _thrust_ into working with, and I use the term 'working with' very loosely, ask him to drop what he's doing, pop over to Atlantis to try yet _another_ experimental drug that will mean he no longer needs to feed on humans, despite the last drug he _stole_ from us pretty much damn near killed him, his men, and his ship, and did I mention us as we were aboard that ship at the time?" he stalked towards Rodney, making the man contemplate running and hiding. "Every time we have worked with that guy we have nearly all been killed and screwed over, and not always in that order! Have I mentioned how I feel about that guy?! Like I'm holding a live grenade and I'm just waiting for it to blow up in my face! Absolutely not!"

John panted after his rant, and Rodney looked to have lost a lot of his bravado, a few inches of height, and some of the colour from his skin.

"...but."

"Out of the question!"

"Well actually Colonel."

"Seriously?" John rounded on the commander, about to check her temperature and have her shipped off to the infirmary as well.

"Colonel, Rodney is right. If we can supplement the Wraith's need to feed on humans, we would save millions of lives. There would no longer be a reason for the Wraith to cull humans."

"Oh Dear God." John could feel a headache coming his way. In the form of a 6ft 8 Wraith who's allegiance wasn't to the Wraith, or the Atlantis expedition. It was to himself. "I am _seriously_ going to regret this. And when I do." John looked right at Rodney's internally shaking form. He pointed at him, and let Rodney fill in the rest.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Why did we have to come to _this _planet? Of all the planets he could have given us as a rendezvous point, he picked an ice planet. Sadistic bastard."

"Well Rodney, he _is_ a Wraith." Ronon grumbled. He would never admit (and nowhere near so freely as Rodney would) that he was also freezing and miserable. Even the extra long coat, boots and fury hats did nothing to hold off the bite of the wind on his skin. At least the Satedan could take his little pleasures by watching Rodney cack himself whenever John circled his position and allow his angry gaze to lay a little too long on the scientist. Ronon knew it was only to make the scientist regret this decision. Having gotten to know the colonel he was pleased to find he was just as much of a sadist as he was. John Sheppard was just more subtle about it.

There was another perk of this mission.

"You cold newbie?" Ronon walked over to a very cold and shivering Lieutenant.

"Bite me." Ronon chuckled. This tender creature came over with the new batch from the last time the Daedalus docked at Atlantis. She had long chocolate brown hair, tied back into a long French plat (whatever that was), deep blue eyes and the nicest ass he had seen in a while. In the last training session (or throw down as he liked to call it) with the other military personal, she appeared, apologised for being late and proceeded to kick everyone's ass. She had a very calm style. Like a Venus fly trap. She would wait for them to charge her, and with minimal movement, put them on their ass. When she tried that on him however, she was the one that landed on her ass. Over and over again. It was a lot of fun. Particularly as she just kept getting back up.

"I just wanted to let you know I'm more than happy to let you press up against me to stay warm."

"I'll freeze first." She turned and smiled up at him. "I didn't realise you were such a sissy when it comes to the cold."

"I only had you in mind."

"I'm sure you did. Oh, and don't call me newbie. I'm new to you, not the job."

"Reynolds, we have in coming." John signalled to the horizon. "Teyla come in."

"Yes sir."

"You and the other squad in position in the tree line?"

"Yes sir. We'll move at the first sign of trouble."

"Alright, we have incoming. Get ready."

"Yes sir."

In the distance a single dart whirred towards them at a leisurely pace. John pursed his lips like he'd tasted something very unpleasant. _That's Todd's style all over. All nice and leisurely until snap, someone's dead. _

"Reynolds, you're at point with me, Rodney, you stay behind us, Ronan-"

"Aim at anything that moves. Got it."

John aimed at the ship as it slowly landed a few miles in front of them.

"Reynolds, you seen a Wraith yet?" She released a smirked and clashed him a cheeky smile.

"I'm about to sir. They're untrustworthy life sucking bastards. That about it sir?"

"That about sums it up." He smiled at her, but always looked down the barrel of his gun. "But we don't want to kill _this one_ unless he gives us a good reason to. Which he probably will."

"Yes sir."

"They are telepathic so don't let him freak you out."

"I'm good sir. I've read all the mission briefs before I signed on to stay here sir." John paused his open mouth to look down at the lieutenant.

"..._all _of them?" she looked up at him innocently, and he shook his head. She was certainly eager. "Well-good. Let's go greet him then, shall we?" John and Reynolds took the lead and approached the ship.

_This is what I signed up for._

That was a bit of an understatement.

When Isabelle Reynolds signed up to the Air force, she knew what she signed up for. When she signed up for the SGC, she _vaguely_ knew what she signed up for. But she hardly saw any action then. When she signed up to take a one way trip on the Daedalus to become a member of the Atlantis expedition, she _thought_ she knew what she'd signed up for. When she actually got there however, she had a lot of catching up to do. And several more confidentiality forms to sign.

And now here she was, literally an entire galaxy away from her parents, goldfish and tiny apartment. About to be face to face with a real life Wraith...

Isabelle checked her grip on her P-90, and pressed forward.

The dart itself looked menacing, so she could only imagine that the creature that flew that thing to be just as menacing.

The roof of the pod had already vanished and they could see a pair of boots on the other side of the dart.

"What time do you call this then? It's not nice to keep your _friends_ waiting." John still aimed at him with his gun, so Isabelle followed suit. She felt Ronon pat her shoulder, letting her know he was behind her. Hopefully that was just a protective thing, not a sign that she was visibly 'nervous' about what she was about to be face to face with.

"Why Colonel Sheppard, I thought this was exactly the time I stated in my reply to your communication. Was it not?"

"No Todd, or you would have been here 3 hours ago."

"Oh dear. My mistake."

"Obviously." Finally the much anticipated Wraith stepped from behind his ship.

"I am unarmed."

"Good."

"I am alone."

"Also good." John scanned around them, then turned on his radio. "Is he alone?"

"It would appear so colonel." Teyla confirmed from the trees.

Isabelle focused on the Wraith. At first it wasn't hard. He was tall, had pale blue skin, long messy white dreadlocks, a weird star tattoo around his left eye and some funky sharp teeth. He certainly wasn't a wall flower. The leather clothing didn't scream 'casual'. None of him did. She felt she'd seized him up enough. That was, until his gaze fixated on her. His amber eyes were so cold, and gripped her to the spot. Something in her stomach turned and became heavy.

"And as usual, I have adhered to the terms of our meeting, and you have not. Both armed, _and _not alone. You really _are _untrustworthy Sheppard."

"Yeah well, I don't usually like to make a habit of expecting a Wraith to play nice."

"Better safe than sorry?"

"Something like that."

"I see...and this one." Todd already had his hands in the air, accustom to the procedure when dealing with John and his team. He used one of his raised hands to wave casually at Isabelle. "She is a new addition to your team?"

"As you heard Teyla is elsewhere, so I brought an extra gun with me."

"Ah I see. She looks very tasty. Such fear and fire in her eyes."

"Fuck you fish face." Todd's eyes widened, not expecting that in the least. And he wasn't the only one.

"Lieutenant Reynolds?! Didn't they tell you not to piss off aliens in this galaxy with that sort of language before got here?"

"Sorry sir." She cleared her throat. "I'm a bit foul mouthed." She berated herself. This was the flagship team she'd been invited to join on this mission. The last thing she needed was to miss of her colonel.

"Clearly." Todd raised an amused brow at her. "You'll need to train that one a bit more I feel."

"For what _I'm_ here for, I'm _more_ than trained enough." She indicated her p-90, and blew him a kiss. Ronon struggled not to break out with laughter, and strangled some chuckles in his throat instead. He liked this girl.

"Sheppard, why don't you let me teach this one some manners? Free of charge?"

"Todd, Reynolds, both of you back down. We are here as allies, after all."

"Are we now?" Todd grinned. "I thought you were after something to ask me here."

"We're only _here_ because you picked this ice rock as a meeting place." Rodney grumbled in the background, rubbing his arms miserably.

"We have found something in Atlantis that could be revolutionary to your...people."

"I think _I_ should be the judge of that." Todd lowered his hands and began closing the gap between him...and Isabelle. Before she could blink Ronon had stepped in front of her and pressed the barrel of his gun to Todd's chest. "Awww how sweet. How protective of you." Isabelle pulled the large padded cuffs from her side belt, and walked around Ronan's massive form. "_You _are going to cuff me? How quaint."

"Shut your clever ass up before I decide to cut off your circulation." He raised his arms above his head, and smirked at her.

"Do be gentle."

"Why don't you-"

"Language Reynolds!" John snapped, gave her a look like she was going to get a stern talking to later, and nodded for her to continue.

"Much obliged." Todd watched her every move, purposefully trying to unnerve her, and grinned the entire time. "Your hands are so gentle Lieutenant Reynolds. I bet you are considered a delicate flower...in Texas." Todd looked over his shoulder at her just in time to see the almost invisible shock in her eyes. After a million reasons why she shouldn't be A, freaked out, or B, deck him one, she yanked the belt to make it as tight as possible, and fastened it in place. Todd winced, and chuckled. "I met a Queen like you once."

"I bet you did. Hands together, palm to palm." She walked round to his front and held the cuffs ready. _Just ignore him Izzy. Watch your temper._

"She also tended to lash out to hide her sexual frustrations." Her eyes snapped to his and narrowed.

"Come again?" She spat.

"She did by the time I was done with her." Todd cocked his head to one side and his lips started to pull back to show the most arrogant grin anyone had seen him use. Isabelle's nostrils flared and her left eye twitched.

Smack.

Before he could blink Todd was on his back, blood gushing from his nose and his head spinning. As he tried to blink back the spinning throbbing of his head and sat up, he saw Ronon holding the new human woman round the middle, off the ground. He grinned when he saw she was spitting with rage, flailing her arms and legs desperately to get free, and bring him more pain.

_Interesting. _

"Right, that's enough. I'll restrain Todd. Ronan...you restrain Lieutenant Reynolds. And Reynolds! You will be in my office one hour after we get back, understood?!" John pulled Todd back to his feet and finished cuffing him.

"Yes sir." She spat. "Just let me get one more punch in sir. I'm going down anyway."

"Reynolds?!" Todd then made a very bad decision. He imitated something she did earlier, and blew her a sarcastic kiss.

Isabelle saw red. She threw her head back and knutted Ronon straight on the nose. He went down, she landed on her feet, launched forward and speared Todd to the ground. She got three really heavy punches in to his face and gut before Ronon and John managed to pull her off him. But not before she got a good kick to his side in as well.

Todd spat some blood off to the side, his face rapidly healing now for the _second_ time.

"I have decided I will help you, if _she_ is assigned to my security detail."

"What?!" Isabelle actually stopped struggling at that point.

"I do not need to explain myself to _you_." Todd got back to his feet, still cuffed, and stood before Isabelle. She was still panting and red in the face, but the rage had passed. "You will however, grab my cuffs in the middle as is usually practised, and escort me to the 'marvellous discovery' of yours before I decide to help you." He raised his cuffed hands and grinned at the very confused, very disturbed young woman. "After you, Lieutenant Reynolds."

Everyone other than Todd was more than a little shell shocked by this, but they got on with it regardless. Isabelle shrugged off her restraints (John and Ronon), and grabbed his.

"This way then Todd the Wraith."

"After you, Isabelle the human, from Texas." She halted for an awkward second, remembering again that John had told her the Wraith were telepathic, before pulling him by his cuffs onwards towards the gate. Once they got there she pulled out the blind fold and covered up his eyes. "Kinky."

"Watch it."

"Going to get violent again?"

"Shut up." She grumbled, reflecting on what she'd done and how much trouble she was in.

Rodney dialled Atlantis and sent their IDC through. They got confirmation, stepped through the gate and landed in the Atlantis gate room.

"She did WHAT?!"

"Exactly."

"You _let_ her attack him?!"

"I didn't really get chance to anticipate her going all Chuck Noris all over him. Her file never said anything about anger issues. She's got a spotless record, and her speciality in hand to hand combat made her a great candidate for the program." John gulped, used to getting flak for things his 'underlings' did. It's how the military worked. Sam was shaking her head with disbelief as she looked from the mission report, to John, to Isabelle's personnel file.

"It was pretty cool to be honest."

"Ronon-not helping." John rolled his eyes. Of course Ronon would like that sort of thing. That's how he rolled.

"Well he was goading her." Ronan smirked from his brooding spot in the corner of the room.

"I mentioned that Ronon, thanks." John threw him 'stop that' look before facing his boss again.

Colonel Samantha Carter signed, looking from John and Ronon, then to the very quiet young lieutenant sat in front of her desk. Isabelle hadn't made a peep since she got into the office, clearly nervous about her future.

"This is very, _very _bad." Sam put the files down and looked at her intently.

"Yes Mam. It shouldn't have happened mam."

"Do you have anger issues Lieutenant?"

"Only the healthy amount required during battle Mam. It's why I joined the Air Force. I'm..." she gulped. "...scrappy."

"Hell yeah." Ronon grinned. "No one has ever head butted me off my stride before."

"You hit Ronon too!?"

"Thanks Ronon, I left that bit out." John sighed, and looked back to the commander of Atlantis. "Todd says he won't help us unless she's on his guard detail.

"Sick bastard." Everyone looked at her. "Sorry, I didn't realise I'd said that out loud."

"She has a foul mouth." Again, Ronon said that with too much of a smile.

"Again, never been a problem before Mam. Please give me a chance Mam." Isabelle put her hands on the desk, pleading for her job. "I'll never do that again. I don't know what came over me Mam. He just got under my skin somehow. Please don't send me back, I love it here."

Sam looked at the clean record of the woman before her in her hands. She looked to John, who had privately said he liked her spunk, and she could guess Ronon's opinion from his grin. He obviously found this incredibly funny. What mattered to the Colonel however, was the look in Isabelle's eyes. She was clearly mortified, which meant she knew it was wrong, and that makes it more likely this won't happen again.

"You can stay."

"Thank you Mam!"

"But." Sam pointed at her, silencing her celebrations. "You are to resume your normal duties, see one of the shrinks for your anger outburst, and stay _away _from Todd."

"But Todd is saying he won't help unless she's-"

"Persuade him otherwise Colonel." Her word was final, and everyone stood. "This is your last chance Lieutenant Reynolds."  
"I won't screw up mam." She saluted her, and walked out with bright grateful eyes.

"Watch that one." Sam rolled her eyes as John and Ronon shared a high five.

"Yes mam." John and a grinning Ronon walked out of her office.

"He agrees it's an amazing discovery." Rodney stated.

"And?"

"He says it would be accepted by his people if introduced in a very clever way, and he'd be willing to help."

"...and?"

"And he's refusing to try it." Rodney signed, exhaustion oozing from him as his body seemed to sink forward. "I've tried reasoning with him, but he just sits there and asks for-"

"You _have _told him that Lieutenant Reynolds is not allowed to go anywhere near him?"

"No, I just thought I'd flounder like a fish and ask the same question over and over again without explaining that fact." John resisted the urge to clip the man upside his head. When Rodney was in a mood, there was no use getting moody back, it would make him worse.

"And he just says the same thing?"

"That he won't help unless Reynolds is assigned to his guard detail and is with him 24/7."

"I'll try."

John signed and walked into the lab, where Todd was furiously swiping his fingers over his own Wraith tablet. He was obviously fascinated by what he was reading, as he only looked up as John was right next to him.

"This would be easier for me if I wasn't cuffed."

"I bet it would." John pulled up a stool and sat next to him. "Listen, there has to be something else you want other than Lieutenant Reynolds'...pleasant company? You've been told she's been banned from going anywhere near you, right?"

"Yes. But you have my terms. Just tell her to be a good little girl and do as she's told and I'll help you."

"Yeah, coz I can imagine what her reaction would be to being told to be a 'good little girl and do as she's told'." John rolled his eyes and gave Todd an un-amused look. "I have an idea." John picked up the squishy yellow pouch and shoved it into his hands, taking the tablet off him in the same swoop. The pouch was technically between both hands, between two feeding openings. But nothing happened.

"Is feeding not a conscious function for you as well? Do you eat automatically when something shoved near your mouth?"

"Nah. But it was worth a try."

"I will have to be willing to _once again_ try an experimental drug to eradicate the need to feed." He plonked the pouch back on the table, and held his cuffed hands out for his tablet. "I will read up to be prepared as I await Lieutenant Reynolds arrival." Todd returned to awkwardly reading through the information on the power packs biochemical construction and the process of its making. John watched him for a second, trying to fathom his obsession with the young lieutenant.

"I won't let you hurt her."

"From our experiences of each other so far, _she _has been the one to hurt _me._"

"I mean it Todd."

"Did I accuse you of lying, Colonel Sheppard?" John pursed his lips, and resisted the urge to have a punch at him himself. That Wraith was up to something. Again.

"I said no."

"Listen Sam, we are getting absolutely nowhere. Sheppard even tried shoving the pouch against his hand and nothing happened. That's how desperate we are. All he wants is-"

"And I said no Rodney. Those two are _not_ to be anywhere _near_ each other."

"Then we might as well let him go, as he is not going to help us otherwise. She said she'd behave, right?"

"This is the end of this conversation Rodney. No means no."

Rodney McKay stormed off in a huff, making his feelings on this matter very clear. Once she was alone Sam sighed into her hands and rubbed her temples. It was getting harder and harder to stick to her guns when everyone keeps asking her over and over again to just give in to Todd's demands. One more request, and she might.

"So, what did you do now?"

"Nothing."

"Isabelle, you never do 'nothing'."

"Oh yeah, you know me. Damn."

"Only for 6 years."

"Yeah that would do it." Isabelle laid back on the psychiatrist's couch and sighed. Dr Mina Swift was a woman, a psychiatrist, and her best friend. They'd met each other back on Stargate Command and joined the programme at the same time. They also happened to become neighbours upon moving closer to the job, and they both took that as a sign. Every Friday night became clubbing and crashing at Isabelle's apartment, and every Saturday became recovering, ordering pizza and watching chic movies at Mina's. The good Dr had a long ponytail of fiery ginger hair, and gentle blues. She sat now in uniform, scribbling on her note pad as she listened to her good friend avoiding the issue.

"You do know you're not leaving until we at least talk about what's got you on my couch in the first place."

"Well usually it's an abundance of beer and sometimes a jerk of an ex. Remember when we crashed in your office coz it was closer than our apartments? HA! You shit yourself the next morning."

"And you just turned over and wanted to sleep a few more hours. Yes I remember. I remember the abundance of tequila we drank the night before as well. And you're avoiding the issue."

"Fine!" Isabelle threw herself onto her side, facing her friend.

"If you can't be objective, you'll have to use a Shrink who isn't also your best friend."

"I came face to face with a Wraith, he was a rude mother fucker and I decked him one. That's about it." Mina's pencil hovered over her pad, and she lifted those gentle blues on her friend.

"Really?"

"Yeah, smacked him silly. I know that wasn't good."

"Clearly. Don't we need him for something?"

"Yeah, to try these power pack things. Anyway, he said some really rude and vulgar things. The worst thing he said, I have to admit, was when he compared me to a sexually frustrated queen and insinuated he sorted her out. If you know what I mean."

"He was crude then."

"And he just grinned and pissed me off. More than I've ever been peeved in my life." Isabelle huffed and laid on her back, looking up at the ceiling. "And now he won't stop asking for me to be assigned to his guard detail. He's refusing to help until I magically appear. He just wants to rub it in my face that he can do whatever the hell he wants. He is so-"

"Frustrating?"

"You're not writing _all _this down are you?" Isabelle narrowed her eyes on her friend and pouted. "You better be saying nice things about me."

"Don't I always?"

"...still."

"I think it might be a good idea you know."

"Well yeah, you saying good things about me would get me out of here quicker. Derrr."

"Not that." Mina put her pad and pencil down on her desk, and pushed her glasses up her nose. "You being assigned to the Wraith's guard detail. That way, you can show him you can be professional, and he can't bother you. You'll also prove you are trustworthy to your betters as well." Isabelle turned her sceptical pout to her friend.

"Are you on drugs?"

"_Izzy._"

"Carter will never allow that."

"Well we lose nothing by me recommending it, do we?"

"I don't _want_ to have anything to do with that fish faced fuck."

"_...temper temper Izzy." _Mina rolled her eyes at her fiery friend. Her Texan twang became stronger when she was angry. The lieutenant also had the typical Texan stubbornness as well, so she had to be careful.

"Fine!" Isabelle jumped up off the couch. "We done then? This is so _weird_ being on your couch."

"Not just for you, I assure you." Mina giggled, and walked over to the door to open it. "I'll let you know what Carter says."

"Yeah, I have an idea what she'll say. Anyway, want to meet up later so I can vex, _off_ the couch?"

"And I'm sure you will be as colourful as usual. About eight?"

"Sounds good. Later Red."

"See you later Izzy." Isabelle was off like a shot. Something most people do when they are being made to see a shrink. Run at the earliest opportunity.

Mina just smiled at her friend, and went to find Colonel Carter's office. She'd never been there before. Most people come to _her _after all.

"Fine."

"...fine?"

"Yes Dr. If you really, really, _really _think it would be best to give the devilish Wraith what he wants, despite the fact I think it will come back to bite us, and I have made a point of saying no, then I'll take your recommendation, and everyone else's, to just do it. Just be there, and pull her out at the first sign of things going wrong."

Mina blinked, and nodded. She knew better than to actually answer that question/respond to that statement. She would just get her friend, walk her to the Wraith (of which she would get a colourful response), and monitor the situation.

Suffice to say, Isabelle wasn't very pleased with this outcome.

"Fuck."

"Izzy."

"Fucking fish faced fuck."

"Pleased watch your language."

"Mina, why the fuck does he get what he wants?" Isabelle walked down the corridor, suited up as usual and calmly making her way to the 23rd level lab. Whilst fuming. Lighting sparked through her bright blue eyes.

"So we get what we want." They just rounded the corner into the lab side by side.

"Oh yeah. Fine, I'll play nice."

"I'm glad to hear that Isabelle." Todd looked up from his tablet, grinning that toothy grin of his. "After all, I want us to get along. We are allies after all, aren't we Sheppard?"

"Of course." John nodded to the new arrivals, and focused with confusing on the red head. "And you are?"

"Dr Swift." She smiled and pushed her glasses up her nose, causing the light to shimmer over her kind baby blues.

"Dr? Oh, you came over on the Daedalus right?" Rodney popped up from behind the power pack machine. "You that new head doctor?" Todd immediately looked to the red head.

"Psychiatrist, yes. However I'm not here in that capacity." Mina lied.

"Oh really?" Todd grinned, looking at Isabelle. "Do I drive you so crazy you need to be monitored by a specialist?"

"Hardly." Isabelle pulled up a stool to the other side of the table from Todd, staring right back at him as she moved. She then put her gun on the table, pointing at him. "Well, I'm here. Now work."

"Since you asked so nicely Isabelle."

"I don't remember giving you permission to use my first name." She stated, raising a brow at him.

"Nor do I remember giving _you _permission to call me Todd."

"You call the Colonel Sheppard."

"I respect him."

"You do?" John interjected suddenly, slightly taken aback by that. Then he realised he was just using him, again.

"It's just your birth name Isabelle. It's not like he calls you by a pet name." Mina commented softly from the corner of the room. As a 'shrink' she was used to observing from a held back position.

"True." This seemed to calm her. That did not please Todd one bit. He turned and glared at the red head, not pleased at her meddling. "Eyes on the task Todd."

"I thought they were. Oh dear." Sarcasm dripped from his every word and his grin looked ever the more menacing as time went on. "Well, someone better un-cuff me and get me a power pack then."

"Right."

"Wait, hang on a minute. Un-cuff? We never agreed to that." John stopped Rodney and his eagerness.

"I cannot simulate proper feeding like this. After all, momentum is required to impact a force for injection of my preservative enzyme and then feeding. I am unable to do this whilst restrained like this."

"It's alright Colonel." Isabelle picked up the p-90 and aimed at his head. "I've got him in my sights."

"Try anything, and I mean _anything_, and I'll have you in _my _sights." John whispered to the Wraith as he un-cuffed him.

"I better 'play nice' then. Power pack." Todd flexed his supple fingers and held a hand out. This made nearly everyone in the room jerk. Only Isabelle who was aiming at his head stayed completely still, and Mina who could tell from his body language what he was up to. The entire time Todd fixed his gaze and the angry brunette. "Well?"

"Oh, right." Rodney scuffled over to him and chucked the pack onto the table. "I'm not going anywhere near your hands. They might get confused."

"I assure you Dr McKay. If I fed on you, there would be no confusion about it." Rodney somehow wasn't comforted by this.

Todd looked with delight to see the power pack had bounced and landed on the table in front of Isabelle. She groaned, knowing what she had to do. Whilst she was wrestling whether or not to keep hold of the gun as she gave him the pouch, a hand appeared over her shoulder. Mina picked up the power pack and chucked it so it landed softy in front of the waiting Wraith. Todd immediately scowled, deciding he didn't like this meddling woman. He very quickly screeched, making even Isabelle jump and aim her gun ready, and planted his open palm against the power pack.

Everyone stared for a moment, when Rodney stepped forward looking at the pack.

"Only some of the fluid has entered him...all of it should have-"

Todd started convulsing, released the pouch and fell off his stool to the floor. He was seizing and screaming in pain on the floor.

"Call Beckett now!" John yelled to Rodney as he ran forward to try and cuff the Wraith. There was no way the Doc would be able to treat an injured Wraith whilst his hands were flailing, perfect for latching on and feeding on a human. Isabelle moved like a shot, pushed Mina out the way, dropped to her feet by Todd's head and grabbed one of his wrists. John grabbed the other and between them they managed to get him cuffed again just in time for Beckett to scarper onto the scene.

"What happened then?"

"This, as soon as he tried to feed on the pack." Isabelle pulled her leather watch off, grabbed Todd's head, forced his mouth open and put the watch strap between his teeth. "I can't remember if you do this anymore, but with his gnashers I thought you might."

"Ay it might be an idea. Never dealt with a convulsing Wraith before. Hold his head on your lap Lieutenant."

"Oh great. You sure he isn't faking this?" with another scream of pain from Todd, that question was answered. Carlson used the angle of his head on Isabelle's lap to shine a light in his eyes.

"Dilated pupils."

"My fingers are on his face and neck. His pulse is crazy fast." Carlson checked his pulse anyway, then touched his forehead.

"And he's burnin'. Right, as soon as he stops seizing he needs to be taken to the infirmary for observation. After all, I have no way of knowing how to counteract this ancient medicine. If you had waited until I had done a proper analysis then maybe-"

"Yes we know Doctor, but that doesn't help now, does it?" Rodney snapped, looking over the main consol, looking for answers. "It should have worked. Why didn't it work?"


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

His entire body was in pain. Every limb felt heavy and hot. His eyelids felt dry, as did his mouth. It was then he lifted his tongue to feel something between his teeth.

"Alright I'll take that out now."

A voice.

It was familiar.

Was it his Queen?

"Oh great, I've got Wraith teeth holes in it now. Brilliant."

It sounded moody enough to be his Queen. Wait...he didn't have a Queen anymore...

"Hay you, you're over the hill now. The Doc says you shouldn't feel so shitty anymore. I can tell you're awake so don't be rude." At that his memories and senses returned to him. His eye lids cracked open and lifted halfway.

"Such...bad manners...Iss...Issa..."

"You probably shouldn't talk. I mean I'd prefer you not to anyway but the Doc said not to strain yourself either. And yes, you are still tied up." He'd just tried to lift his hands to his face. He blinked a few times until his vision returned to him properly.

"You're...at my bedside. How...sweet."

"Yes I bet you're ecstatic about that. You look ecstatic." Todd started wheezing and spluttering to one side. He then turned back to Isabelle with a tired brow raised at her. "Well, it's a _subtle_ ecstatic."

"Your bed manner could use some work."

"Bite me."

"Tempting." He croaked a laugh, and a lopsided grin. "It would certainly make me feel better."

"Which is why I have a _really_ big gun." Isabelle smiled maliciously, then sat back and picked up a book. "And you're in chains. And there are guards outside this room. And there are cameras in the corners of the room. And did I mention the really big gun?"

"All that...for just me..."

"Well, we take our injured hungry Wraiths very seriously." She turned the page.

"I'm not...not hungry."

"Hmm?" curious blues looked over the spine of the book. "I thought you guys were always hungry?"

"I feel too nauseous to be hungry."

"Ah. Well, sleep it off then."

"Ah, so...sympathetic..."

"I'm a bleeding heart."

"Hah." Todd wheezed and looked intensely at the brunette. She was focusing on the book, so intensely that Todd _knew_ she was just trying to avoid looking at him. "I need...water..."

"Oh fucking hell." Isabelle spat, plonked her book down on the bedside table and lifted a cup of water. There was a straw in it, and she leaned over to get the end of it in his mouth. "I can't suck for you too." There was obviously an innuendo in his eyes with the way he looked at her, but his need for water was greater. He didn't want to risk her taking it away in spite. It was incredibly hard to suck even the tiniest bit of water into his mouth, and he ended up spluttering it out onto his face whenever he tried. "Well don't you look pretty?" Isabelle laughed. She couldn't help it. Only one thing came to mind when she saw water sprayed across his face from his thick lips. "Like a fish out of water." At that she sniggered behind her lips so hard, even Todd cracked a smile.

"You are _so_ kind."

"Here." She pulled her chair right up to his bed side and pushed the straw as much into the water as it would go. She then sealed the top of the straw with her finger and pulled the straw out. "I'll release the water into your mouth a little bit at a time. Do you think you could swallow it then?"

"Yes. Thank you."

She nursed him for a while, giving him a little drink at a time. She forgot herself for a moment. Memories of her grandmother lying at her death bed flooded her mind, bringing her more tender side out. Isabelle used her other hand to brush some stray hairs out of Todd's face, and used her sleeve to wipe the sprayed water from his face.

A snide remark almost escaped his lips, when he noticed the watery twinkle in her eyes. There was some significance to this action, and he didn't want to mock her yet as she'd stop helping him.

"You had enough?"

"Yes thank you." Izzy put the glass down on the table, looked over his exhausted features, before returning to staring at her book. "I..." She looked over the edge of her book again to find he'd fallen unconscious. Again.

"Man you are in bad shape. I almost feel bad for you." She blinked, turned the page in her book and relaxed into another chapter. "Not exactly the worst day off I've ever had."

"So what's wrong with him then?" Sam and SA1 all crowded around Dr Beckett, all waiting for answers. Rodney especially.

"Well it would appear that the compound in the power pack is only half doing its job. The Wraith receptors are able to bind to the protein structures of the protein, but from what I've been able to ascertain without any actual energy extraction."

"...what?" Ronon shared a WTF look with John, before they all looked to Rodney. He sighed and decided he'd translate that for them.

"The Wraith feeding mechanism works. He can bind to the compound, just can't get any sustenance from it. There is clearly a cog missing from the machine to complete the process, but the Doc hasn't figured out which piece it is."

"So what does that mean for skippy of there?" John caused the group to look over to the sleeping Wraith, Izzy curled up asleep in her chair next to him.

"Well." Beckett began. "His body is slowly clearing the compound out of his system." He chuckled. "It's throwing it up actually. I had the delightful pleasure of being informed that his hands were vomiting and she was going to shoot him if he didn't stop it, by Miss Reynolds earlier on." Ronon cackled a laugh at that, imagining Izzy screeching at the doctor with her feathers all ruffled, aiming at Todd's head and hissing.

"Right, other than that being totally gross, is that going to cure him?"

"I think so Rodney yes. He should be fine in the next day or so." The doctor turned to look at the sleeping girl with a smile. "Does she really have to stay with him 24/7? Couldn't she go get some proper rest in her room?"

"Unfortunately that wasn't the deal." Sam sighed. "But there's no reason she can't be in a bed as she sleeps though."

"On it." Ronon lifted her up from the chair like a sleepy kitten, smiled down at her, finding her far too cute with her lips parted like that and her hair falling over her face. Her bobble must have fallen out as she cuddled up on the chair.

As gently as the Satedan was capable of, he lowered her onto the hospital bed on the other side of Todd and pulled the blanket over her.

"Awwww, you're so sweet!" Ronon stared at Rodney with his eyebrow raised at him, and his gaze hot as coals. "Ah, never mind then." Rodney laughed nervously and stepped backwards into John.

"Watch it Rodney."

"Can you all leave so they can get some rest?" Beckett interjected before they could start squabbling again. "I'll let you know if there are any changes."

"I need to go and check on Radek anyway. Make sure he isn't mending those pods at the expense of the power pack circuitry. I'll be in the new lab if you need me for anything."

They all went their separate ways. The Doc went to his office to get some rest on his couch. The alarms would go off if anything went wrong with his patient, so he might as well get a little shut eye as well.

Todd opened his eyes as he felt the undeniable, terrifying presence in his mind.

"Here? How?"

"What is that?" Rodney had walked into the lab expecting Zalenka to be elbow deep in one of the stasis pods on the left wall, not stood holding a control crystal in his hand and staring at the ceiling.

At first he wasn't alarmed, about to make a snarky project about _his _project being too boring...

Before he could ask him what he was doing, the crystal activated and the ceiling opened up. A fifth stasis pod descended to the ground before them. It looked like a regular stasis pod. With a twist.

"A stasis pod."

"I can see _that_ Radek!" Rodney skidded over to his comrade and pointed desperately at the pod. "I mean what is _that_?!"

Both men saw that the pod was anything but empty.

"...that would be a wraith Queen, Rodney."

She had long white hair, soft, falling like a snowy waterfall over her shoulders to her waist. Her dress was also white, with long sleeves handing well below her wrists with a cut out hole for her hands. It was Atlantian in design, with a high collar and the right section of the chest folded over the left. The ridge detail of the dress was silver, with an emblem on her chest that they had found all around this base. It was the home symbol for Atlantis. Her skin was a deep blue, two dainty slits on her cheeks, her eyes and lips closed in a blissful sleep. There were markings around her eyes. One black line ran from her cheek bone, under her eye, curved over the top of her nose, curved under the other eye and ended on the other cheek bone. Under each line were delicate little black spots, following the same path as the line. The spot that landed perfectly on the ridge of her nose sprouted two more dotted lines, each one curving over eyebrows and vanishing into her temples.

"Yup. That's a wraith." Rodney gulped and slowly pulled his radio out of his pocket. "Erm, Sam. It's Rodney."

"Oh dear lord Rodney now what? It's 11 at night! What could you possibly have found now that-"

"A Wraith Queen." Both men stepped backwards from the stasis pod and to the door.

"Are you in the lab?" Rodney could hear the ruffling of clothes on the other side of the radio. She was getting ready really quickly. She might have even kicked something over in the process. "Zalenka with you?"

"Yes and yes."

"Get out the lab and lock the door. Now." he could hear that tell tale sound of sternness in her voice when the shit was about to hit the fan.

"Yes Mam." Rodney whimpered and turned to do just that, when Zalenka squealed. "What?" he waved his hand over the door panel for the door to open and turned to his comrade. "Why are you just standing there?"

"...look..."

And he did.

"Shit!" Rodney grabbed Radek's shirt and pulled him outside with him. "Get the door crystal now!" it was on Radek's side.

"Right!" as the polish genius started messing with the control crystals to make the door close and lock, Rodney stared into blazing red eyes.

"Faster Radek!" His heart hammered in his chest as he looked at her. The pod door was open and the Wraith was awake. Her clawed hands reached for the edges of the pod shakily, her eyes darting around the room as if looking for an explanation for her awakening. "Faster!" She pulled herself out of the pod, only to fall to her hands and knees. Well, thousands of years in stasis would knock the stuffing out of you. Even a Wraith. She pushed up and started to crawl towards them, spluttering and chocking as she tried to breath. "Radek!"

"Done!"

The door swished shut and locked.

Both men could feel their heart racing in their chests, their blood tearing through their body with fear. Neither of them ever wanted to be that close to a wraith queen again. And her eyes... "Did you see her eyes?" Zalenka pushed his glasses up his nose and wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead.

"I've never seen a Wraith with red eyes before..."

"Rodney!" the men turned, never having felt so glad to see men with guns before. John and Sam were at the front holding p-90's and wearing their gear and game face. Ronon and Teyla were right behind them, as were a full squad of soldiers. "What did you do?!"

"I didn't _do anything."_ Rodney squealed and pushed Zalenka forward. "He did!"

"But I-"

"Radek." John stepped up to him, put a hand on his shoulder and raised a don't-mess-with-me brow at him. "What happened?" He took a deep breath and looked at the very confused and miffed people around him. All holding very big guns...

"I found a text talking about the reasons the projects were shut down in the computer memory." He gulped deeply, feeling Rodney's eyes burning in the back of his head. "It asked if I wanted to access it. I said yes."

"So?" Rodney circled round to face his 'friend'. "What did it say."

"Nothing." He cleared his throat. "But that pod came out of the ceiling as soon as I stepped down from the panel."

"Oh dear lord."

Rodney smacked his forehead dramatically, like only Rodney could. "The projects, why were they shut down?" he span on his heels to look at the only person in any universe he _might_ consider his equal. Sam looked back at him with the same recognition of shit-hitting-the-FAN.

"No...they didn't..."

"Hello? Want to fill us in now or after we go shoot the wraith locked in the lab?" John felt the same frustration as the rest of the squad.

"You can't do that." Sam switched her radio on to a city wide channel. "Beckett, sorry to wake you, but this is an emergency. Get to the lab on the 23rd floor above the gate room right now."

"What?" John lowered his gun and leaned in to Sam. "What's going on?"

"She might not be a Wraith." Sam reasoned.

"Or she could be." Rodney added, which caused Sam to narrow her eyes on him and start a standoff of her own.

"Clearly Rodney, the projects couldn't go any further without a test subject. That's what she is."

"For which project?" Rodney ran his hands back through his hair. "If she's a test subject for the power pack project then she's a captured wraith."

"But if she's a test subject for the spy project, she's an Atlantian that's been changed into a wraith." Sam barked back, hating that he _always_ had a different theory to her. like his theory was the only one that mattered. "She was in a stasis pod like the ones used in the spy project, right?" she turned to Zalenka, who nodded at her.

"But it didn't have all the caballing." Rodney cut in, getting her attention again. "It looked like a regular stasis pod, which means she was already all wraith-like when she was _put_ into stasis."

"Wow wow wow." John stepped between them and raised his hands up. "So what you're saying is, I have a queen wraith in my city, that could be either a REAL queen wraith, or an ancient that is NOW a wraith? Is that right?" it might just be his Air force training, or his bad experiences with Wraiths (especially their queens)...but he still thought the best solution was to shoot her anyway.

"If she's an Atlantian test subject she won't mean us any harm." Sam looked over their shoulders, seeing Beckett running with his medical bag towards them.

"But." Rodney snapped, starting to hiss at the commander. "If she's a captured Wraith Queen, she'll kill us all!"

"Well, where's my patient?" Carlson looked around him desperately, seeing no one was injured. "Well?"

"Ok, listen up Doc."

Sam and Rodney bickered as they filled the doc in.

"Are you mad?" Carlson's eyes were wide and his hands came up defensively. "You want me to examine a _conscious_ wraith Queen?"

"Only if we establish her identity to be Atlantian." Sam turned to John, who got the message.

"So we're going to arrest and interrogate her." He took the safety off his p-90 and turned to Ronon. "Follow me big guy and take the right flank, Teyla, have my 6. We'll go in first, but if she's a boggy the rest of you come in and give us cover fire."

"Yes sir."

Rodney replaced the control crystals into their correct positions. The door opened, and everyone tensed up.

The wraith wasn't on the floor anymore. She was nowhere to be seen.

Silently John and Ronon entered the room, guns and eyes forward. After a few seconds they both heard a heavy wet sound of something hitting the floor, and they span round to see the source.

The object was an empty plastic pouch. The Wraith Queen was pressing controls on the power pack machine, generated another pouch, and pounced on it.

"OOOOOooooooooo." She moaned, feeling her strength start to return to her. John clocked 5 empty pouches on the floor, and estimated that if every bag was the equivalent of one human for her...this queen was back at full strength.

"Turn around, put your hands on the back of your head and get on your knees right now." The colonel yelled, making her jump. The 6th empty pouch fell to the floor and she whipped round to look at them both. "You heard me! Right now!" they took a step forward, and John heard the trademark sound of Ronon's gun coming off stun mode. "I said now!"

"Comdo, mia clementia. Indeo asordo. Comdo." Her hands were raised, but not behind her head, and she didn't drop to her knees. John was about to released a warning shot when Sam ran in.

"STOP!" Sam yelled, skidding into the middle of the room. "Stop, that was ancient. She was speaking ancient."

"What?" John cautiously looked to his commander, who did _not_ have her gun drawn. "What'd she say?"

"She said please, have mercy. I need help. Please." Sam stepped forward, despite the instant hissing from John and Ronon. "My name is Samantha Carter. I'm not fluent in ancient like a good friend of mine. But I won't hurt you."

"I hope you know what you're doing here Sam." John stayed close to her, just encase.

"Look at her. She used the power packs, which means she knows all about them. Todd wasn't able to use them, but she can. She's speaking ancient."

"Still." John aimed at her hard. "Be careful."

"I'm a friend. Amacus." She pointed at herself.

"vu es amacus?" The Wraith cocked her head to one side, her snowy hair swaying with the movement. Her hands fell to her sides as she regarded Sam. "Quod lingua operor vu narrod?"

"Erm..." Sam really missed Daniel in situations like this. Reading ancient text and holding her own in conversational Atlantian were two very different things.

"quod lingua operor vos narro?" The Wraith cocked her head to one side and squinted her eyes at the blonde commander, cogs turning in her eyes. she said again, causing Rodney to uneasily run next to Sam.

"My conversational ancient isn't great. But that was Latin."

"Ancient is similar to latin in some ways." Sam reasoned, still intently watching the Wraith, who was intently watching her back.

"I know that, but she just said something in _pure_ Latin. She just asked what language we're speaking." Rodney beckoned for Carlson to join him, which he did gingerly. "Es vos an ancient?" every word was said very slowly, making everyone roll their eyes at him. "What?"

"Ego sum an ancient. Addo mihi vestri lingua quod ego vadum perceptum."

"Wow, ok." Rodney ran the words through his head again as he turned to look at Sam. The only people in the room that still fixated on the wraith were John and Ronon, guns aimed between her eyes. "I think she wants something with the English language on it. like a Rosetta stone or something."

"I have one of those on the system, from Daniel." Sam nodded at him.

"Great. vos obvius ratio?" The wraith nodded at him and turned to the large control panel.

"Guys? Is she about to do what I _think_ she's about to do?!" John made moves to attack her, but Rodney and Sam intervened. "Seriously? We're all alright with a _Wraith Queen_ accessing our systems?" no one answered him. they were all focused on the alien. "Oh hell."

They all waited in anticipation. Ancient technology was designed to only work with those with the ancient gene. Simply being able to operate the control panel would answer the question as to her origins.

Her hands smoothed over the control buttons, and the terminal came to life. Ancient letters flowed like golden water in the air before her. The SGA steam watched as she touched areas of the hologram, changing the 'pages' and opening up 'files'. They watched her for 5 minutes until the wraith stepped away from the platform.

"Greetings. My Name is difficult to phonetically pronounce in your tongue. I have chosen a name from your database which I believe to be the closest in phonetics. To make communication easier for you. Would Gwena suffice?"

"Yes it would." Sam smiled, pulling away from Rodney's incessant grip. "Please call me Sam. Can you understand me all right?"

"Yes. The records you have entered into the database tells me you are from Avalon. I am unsure how advanced you are as the last time my people were there, your kind were still...behind." She tucked her hair behind her ears, her red eyes looking cautiously to Ronon and his gun, then back to Sam. "I must also no doubt explain my appearance."

"Yes, you _do_ seem to be rocking the Wraith look." John added, a brow raised and clearly not happy about this quality talk they were having. Every time he talked with a Wraith, it usually involved a hell of a lot of pain, or getting screwed over in some way. He fondly thought of Todd for a moment, before shaking it off.

"You know of the Wraith. You know of the atlantians and alterans I see. Are you aware of the ancient and Wraith history then?"

"Yeah, and how it ended." Rodney was smiling now. she may be in the body of a Wraith, but she was a real life Ancient! All the things they could learn from her! "I've basically figured out 50% of this place so far, give or take. This lab contains two projects."

"Ah, yes. It may seem that way to you." She lifted the skirt of her dress and elegantly walked towards them. "There is actually _one_ project in this room. The future eradication of the Wraith's need for human sustenance. But tell me what _you_ know so far."

"Well Gwena." Rodney wanted to walk up to her, but Sam cautiously held his arm, stopping him. "Well, we thought that there were two projects working together. One to produce the power packs, that's what we call them, to replace humans. And the project to turn ancients or humans into Wraith to infiltrate the hive ranks."

"Not quite." She put her hands together and held them before her. "Only women can be turned, as the project was to produce Queens. And the 'power packs' are only compatible with these..." she looked off to one side. "I am unsure how to translate...I am a Wraith Queen now by all means. But...I have...enhancements."

"Enhancements? Like you're a Super Queen or something?" Sam's inner scientist was as intrigued as Rodney.

"I am designed to consume the nutrient jelly, but I am also designed to produce offspring which will naturally feed in the same fashion." She smiled at the way Rodney and John looked at each other when she said 'offspring'. "You are correct in thinking this project would involve infiltrating a hive, but not for espionage."

"That's why the project was only designed to convert women."

Sam reached out and put John's gun down. "I get it now. The real purpose of this project wasn't about converting Wraith onto a new diet, _or_ making Wraith spies." Sam turned to grin at Rodney, who was also as stunned and amazed as she was. "It's about producing Wraith offspring that _can't_ feed on humans. They _have_ to use the power packs! That's brilliant!" be beamed, turning back to the wraith with hopeful eyes.

"Despite the fact that my people _couldn't_ get the Wraith to successfully use the nutrient pouches, they wouldn't agree to use it if they could. It is in their nature to hunt and feed." She cleared her throat nervously. "They enjoy it." Gwena gulped, seeing Ronon was still vehemently aiming for her head. "Our only chance of success was to make it so they _couldn't_ feed on humans anymore. By design."

"By genetic design. Through reproduction." Carlson grinned. "Well that's brilliant. Although, I imagine not time effective. Every child would take the best part of a year to bring to term, then raise them and then repeat." The doc couldn't help but admire the amount of ingenuity involved in the A, complete genetic change over from one species to the next, and then what must have been an enormous achievement in neonatal genetics and manipulation. He couldn't imagine the research starting from anywhere but scratch. These ancients...he didn't know sometimes whether to be incredibly impressed, or afraid of what they got up to in these labs.

"You are quite right I'm afraid. There were also not enough volunteers to become queens in the first instance. None were willing to convert, seduce Wraith soldiers, get pregnant and then repeat the process until we have repopulated the Wraith with our...safer version."

"So the project was scrapped." Ronon added, still aiming at her. "but...if it was scrapped, why did they make you?"

Gwena held a sad smile and sighed.

"It was in fact my own doing. My father was the head of this project. He always said if he was a woman he'd do it himself." She chuckled fondly, twisting some of her hair over her chest, sadness twinkling in her eyes. "My mother was killed by the Wraith when I was very young." She bit her lips for a moment, feeling raw pain through her memories. Ordinarily this was something she didn't want to share. But it was obvious she didn't have a choice. Ronon was still prepared to shoot her at any moment. "The council threatened to shut us down if my father couldn't prove that his machine worked." She looked to the machine, shivering as she remembered the pain of her...transformation. "He was desperate. The Wraith were heading to Atlantis in waves like we had never seen before. I watched as no one would volunteer for the program. No one would put their old lives aside for the good of everyone. Not even to infiltrate the hives for military purposes, to buy my people time. So I snuck into the lab and did this to myself." She exhaled deeply, holding back her tears. "My father was very upset with me. He had just come from a council meeting saying that they were going to abandon Atlantis." She sniffled and saw Sam frown with her. "But...I had already become a Wraith..."

"So you couldn't go with them." Sam turned to Ronon. "Stand down. She's a good guy."

"Oh my." Her head whipped to one side, her red eyes narrowing. "There is a Wraith here."

"We know. He's a... 'friend' of ours that was trying out the power packs." Rodney worked delicately, still too close to Sheppard for comfort. "He's tied up in the medical wing at the moment. The goo didn't agree with him."

"No, it would not." Gwena smoothed her hands down her skirt, dusting it off. "As I said, it will only work with Queens that are made here, or their offspring."

"Well I have a question." John piped up, wearing a large sarcastic grin. "We just inherited an ancient Wraith. What do we do with her?"

"Well." Gwena cleared her throat nervously. "I of course wish to live. I require the power packs for sustenance and I would of course help you. The data you have entered into the systems tells a tale of battle with the Wraith, and heroism towards the defenceless humans of this quadrant. I will of course help you in this endeavour." She looked off to one side sadly. "My people abandoned this quadrant. They abandoned the humans they brought here, knowing the Wraith would continue to cull them. I couldn't bare that thought. If I have survived in stasis for this long, after losing everything, I would hope it was so I would have a purpose."

"Can I have a word?" John grabbed Sam's arm, pulling her away from the Wraith's intense gaze. "Listen, she tells a damn good story. But that's all it is. We can't trust her."

"I agree we can't trust her on face value. But I would like to find out." Sam shared a trusted look with the colonel, then addressed the room. "Gwena, as you can understand only time will tell if we can trust you. Your story may be true, but you are still a Wraith now. You might be slave to the same urges." She tried to ignore the sad look in her red eyes. "So for now you will be put under house arrest. We will of course ensure you continue to get power packs for sustenance, and you will need to _earn_ our trust."

"...I see. So I am to be your...prisoner then? Even though _you_ are in _my_ home?"

She had her there. "If you promise not to hurt me, or allow others to hurt me, I will comply with this." Sam raised a confused brow. _That's very good of her...she isn't going to argue or resist? She __does__ have a point after all..._ "However, I want you word that you will allow me to gain your trust and my freedom to walk the halls of my home." Gwena walked right up to Sam, Ronon side stepping in the way, fists clenched ready. She stumbled backwards from him in a hurry, feeling hate oozing from him. "I, I can go along with this if there is a light at the end of the dark road. Do you understand?" She held her elbows and held Sam's eyes again. "I will do everything I can to help you, but only against the Wraith. I will not be party to any sort of power play in this galaxy within your human factions."

"Of course." Sam nodded to her, putting her hand on Carlson's shoulder. "I give you my word that if you prove yourself trustworthy, you will be intergrated within the population of Atlantis. However." The commander began, having terms of her own. "You will for now not resist being taken by armed guard to a holding room, where you will be examined by a doctor. You will remain there, and you will assist us in any way we request in our mission to defeat the Wraith."

"Thank you." Gwena curtseyed, her head bowing elegantly with the fluid motion of it. "I will serve you well, Samantha Carter."

"Also, I want you to agree to have regular sessions with a psychiatrist who will evaluate your mental state."

"Oh, alright." She chuckled, finding the thought of someone getting into her head quite amusing. "May it be a woman?"

"...why?" Sam narrowed her eyes on her sceptically.

"I simply feel that a mental doctor will want to explore my decision to become a Wraith, and that will relate to the mission of seducing a Wraith soldier and producing offspring." She chuckled again, tilting her head to one side. "I would of course find this to be a most embarrassing topic to discuss with a male doctor."

"...right...we have female shrinks." Sam nodded, and turned to John. "The full squad will take her to the nearest living quarters on this level. That way she'll be away from the rest of the populous." They shared a nod, both clearly thinking that was a good idea.

Gwena obediently allowed them to strap a padded belt around her middle, cuff her hands together and to the belt, and walk her to the nearest living quarters to the lab. They then un-cuffed her and locked her inside, alone.

She sat there on the bed, nursing her wrists from the cuffs and a tear rolled down her cheek.

"...this is my life now daddy..." she fell onto her side, holding herself and begging for sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"What do you _mean_ you _know_ there is another Wraith here?!"

Todd had been yelling from his restrained position on the bed since he woke up that morning. He hissed as a paperback romance novel collided with his face on several occasions. Izzy hadn't appreciated being woken up by his whining. After being reassured on the radio they were aware of the situation, she went off to freshen herself up. She smiled to herself, loving her shower and the feel of being dressed in clean clothes. She then reluctantly returned to her post, the sergeant she'd ask to watch him in her absence running off as soon as she came into his eyeline.

And that's how this new squabbling match started.

"I'm sorry, I thought you could speak _English_. Did I stutter there big guy? Or did I suddenly switch to German?! Sprechen Sie Deutch?"

"...what?"

"Exactly, fish face. Exactly." She huffed, dropping into her seat and narrowing her testy blue eyes at him. "You still floundering there, or you back to 'normal'?"

"I am well again, yes. So touching that you _care_."

"Well I'm _nice_ that way." She forced a sarcastic smile across her face, picked up her book, and glared at the pages.

"Where is the Queen I sense? To which faction does she belong?"

"Oh, that." She hid a smirk behind the book. "The round table. She's been ordained by Merlin and Author and everything."

"...what?"

"Sorry." She lowered the book to grin at him. "I should have explained the rules to you first. See." She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. "If you as a _stupid question, _you get a _stupid answer_." She beamed a grin, leaning back and returning to her book.

"...you think my question was stupid so you warranted it with a ridiculous waste of air?"

"Yup, that's about right." She bit her lips in amusement and turned the page.

"There's a _reason_ your at the bottom of the food chain." Todd shook his head on his pillow, deciding this particular human was quite bizarre.

"Awwwwww. You hurt my _feelings_." She snorted, turning the page and crossing one leg over the other. She raised a brow when he chuckled at her, a grin flashing briefly over his lips, before it was gone. He turned his head away from her, looking around the rest of the room. "So you failed." At that he snapped his head back to her. She timed it so her eyes darted back to the page as he did this.

"I have not _failed_ anything. The atlantians _failed_. And your people also _failed_ to run the proper tests on that compound. If they had they would have seen that it wouldn't have worked."

"Really? I thought it might be the guinea pig's fault."

"...what did you just-"

"Good morning sunshine!" John waltzed into the room with a big grin on his face. "How you feeling? How was the service? Warm and fuzzy?" Todd glared at him, clearly not amused. "Well I could hear your yelling from the other side of the base, so here is what I can tell you." He put his hands together, trying very hard to be as condescending as possible. "Well poppet, there _is_ a Wraith Queen here. We seem to have made another ally that will be _more_ useful than _you_. She's prettier too!"

"You cannot trust a Queen Sheppard." Todd hissed, struggling against his restraints again. "You just can't."

"Right...well." John looked around him, then comically put his hands on his hips and shrugged at him. "I think we'll risk it."

"Grrrr!"

"Oh stop tormenting the dog will you?" Izzy groaned. "_You're_ not the one that has to put up with his pining and snarling 24/7. Give me a break sir?"

Todd _almost_ pouted. He had never felt so underappreciated in his life. He was a genius killing machine, and they were poking him like a tied up kitten doing something funny.

"Am I going to _leave_ then?"

"Yup, as soon as possible."

"I will be glad of that. Although...I was looking forward to some quality time with Isabelle." She was already unhooking his regular restraining belt from the bed arms. "What a shame."

"Oh yes of course. I'm personally heartbroken." She rolled her eyes, grabbing his shoulder and yanking him into an upright position on the bed. "I mean, we were going to talk long walks down the beach, fly a kite, maybe go splash in the sea. And then there was the picnic! Good times." Sarcasm oozed from her snarky tone, her hands roughing working to get him on his feet and out the Stargate ASAP. "Maybe next time?" His boots hit the floor and his form towered over hers. He leaned over her, darkening the mood around them all. John even stopped grinning and poised his hand over his sidearm.

"Next time we meet could be on the battlefield, Isabelle Reynolds." She didn't say anything to that. she knew that that meant. The intensity of his insane toothy grin told her _exactly_ what that meant. If he met her in the field, she was dead. "I will look for you." He whispered by her ear, some of his earthy musk teasing her nostrils as his dreads fell in front of her face. His breath was on her ear as he whispered huskily in her ear. She could almost _feel_ the smirk on his lips. "Imagine the fun we'll have. You won't be smirking then, Izzy..."

"That's enough." John fisted at his shoulders and yanked him off her, making the taller man stumble to get his balance. Izzy was frozen in place, her features fixed onto her poker face. On the inside however, she was a mixture of fear, anger and anticipation. That's what be made her feel. John was dragging the grinning Wraith backwards, when she spoke up.

"Hay fish face!" John stopped in the doorway, Todd cocking his head to one side curiously at her. she'd put a big cheeky grin on her face and pointed at him with her thumb up, and one finger 'aimed' at him. "Just so you know, I'll be _looking_ for you too. Probably down the barrel of my p-90." Todd started cackling with amusement, finally dragged out of the door towards the gate, where a sack would no doubt find its way over his head.

After 5 minutes she released all the air from her lungs and sank into her seat.

_That was intense._

She rubbed her hands over her face, hoping her lingering worries would vanish with the action.

If only they did.

"Oh...i see." Mina gulped, haphazardly collecting everything she would need for a therapy session/ mental evaluation.

"Is this going to be alright? I did ask Dr Royen first being the head of the department and your senior, but she refused."

"And I am the only other female psychiatrist left. I understand." She pulled a bobble from her draw and tied her hair into a high ponytail. She fussed with her fringe, cleaned her glasses, took a drink of water and then turned to the commander, who was looking at her with concern. "I'm sorry I didn't answer your question. Yes." She let out a deep breath, collecting herself and putting her shrink face on. "I am more than capable of being professional and efficient with this patient. You have expressed her willingness, and her inability to feed on me, so I will simply do my job." She nodded, and followed the sceptical blonde haired genius to the room they were keeping her.

The Queen Wraith.

The base was abuzz with talk of the Wraith they'd found in one of the labs. Over some moonshine wine and candles only last night was Mina speculating over this development with Izzy. That, and the relief her temperamental brunette friend was feeling about Todd's departure.

But not she was going to be face to face with the Wraith.

As she was face to face with the door, she steeled her fear and nerves, and nodded to the guard to open the door.

Immediately her eyes found the ethereal creature sat on the bed with eager red eyes. She was now wearing what could have been one of Izzy's uniforms, black boots, green camouflage trousers, black leather belt and a long sleeved black t-shirt tucked into her trousers.

"Greetings Mina." Her voice was a lot softer than she'd been expecting, she thought. Mina looked her over, seeing she was indeed sat on the bed, but her hands were on her knees and she was leaning forward slightly. She was clearly excited, or eager to begin. She was also smiling brightly...something she also didn't expect.

"Good morning. My name is Dr Mina Swift."

"I am aware." She nodded vigorously, her snowy hair falling forward over her shoulders as she did so. "Oh, forgive me. I assumed I was to call you by your first name." Mina blinked at her, feeling very uneasy. "I sense that I am supposed to show respect for your title and refer to you by your title and family name. I will obey this in future." She nodded again, and pointed to a chair. She'd dragged it over from the dressing table, and put it opposite her.

Very close, Mina thought. "Oh, you can move it to any desired distance of your pleasing. I am also called Gwena now."

"Now?" Mina finally crossed the threshold, flinching only slightly as the door locked behind her. she grabbed the back of the chair, pulled it away so it was twice the distance from her as it had previously been, then sat in it.

"Oh yes. My name is difficult to pronounce in your tongue. Your folds are not accustomed to it. I have chosen the name Gwena for its similar phonetic pronunciations. Well, 30% similar. I also like it." she nodded, her red eyes eerily bright. Mina was sure her patient was smiling so much to try and put her at ease.

If anything it was freaking her out more. _Then again, perhaps I'm just too used to Izzy's pouting and scowling?_

"Who is Izzy?" Her blue eyes snapped to the Wraith. "Oh, I am very sorry. I assure you I am not entering your mind. I am trying to ignore your thoughts, but those who are unaware of their mental capacities, such as humans, are unable to shield their thoughts." She chuckled nervously and started to play with a lock of her long hair. "It's like someone at the other side of the room is having a conversation, and despite you trying not to, you overhear what they are saying. It's more evident when there is an emotion attached to the thought.

"She is a friend." She answered, starting her usual form. "I'm going to start this session with some questions. Is that all right?"

"Oh yes. That will make you more comfortable." Gwena smiled and nodded to her to being, her hands returning to her lap. "I am Gwena." Mina had opened her mouth to ask for her full name, blinked, and wrote Gwena down instead. "Ignoring my time in stasis I am 16." Mina almost fell out of the chair.

"You are WHAT?!" It was very rare for the keen eyed, intricate woman that was Mina Swift to lose her mental balance like that. "You are seriously 16?"

"Yes, ignoring the stasis time. I am unsure as to how many thousand years I have been in stasis. I approximate it to be 10,000, give or take." Gwena picked up a brush next to her on the bed and started to tend to her hair. "It is very thick now." she answered the mental question of 'why is she doing that now?'.

"Right." Mina recorded the age, and jumped out with the next question before the Wraith could read it from her mind. "Do you have any health issues I need to be aware of?"

"Oh no. Dr Carlson Beckett examined me before you arrived this morning and says I am as fit as a fiddle. He didn't however explain what a fiddle is, but he was smiling at the time so I assumed that it has an acceptable level of fitness."

"Ok." Mina wrote no. "Now the questions have been customised to your situation. When you require more sustenance, do you feel the same level of hunger as a Wraith?" this was not a topic she was comfortable with...

"Oh, well, before I went into stasis I found that be eating four power packs a day I maintained the same level of hunger as a human when they are hungry. I do not feel 'the hunger' if that is what you are asking." Gwena cocked her head to one side, her eyes penetrating Mina's and making her feel a chill all over. "If I was starved of nutrients I would feel the hunger, but I am incapable of getting sustenance from anything but the..." she started to giggle into her hands. "I'm sorry. Your scientist Rodney McKay as called them power packs I believe?"

"And you find that amusing?" Mina couldn't help a small smile on her lips at that. this woman, if she wasn't blue, could have fooled her to be a lovely young lady. She's 16! That thought just kept boomeranging around her head. It both astonished her, and worried her.

"Yes I do. It's very crude, in an endearing sort of way. Rodney McKay appears to be very fond of naming Atlantian technology. They are, by my best translation into your tongue, called nutrient pouches. I mentioned that in front of him once and heard him sulking in his head. He believes his name for them are cooler. Would it be best in the endeavour of befriending him to appease his need to call them power packs?"

"It would help with a man like Rodney." She chuckled, putting her pen down for now. Perhaps talking casually like this was the best way. That way she might not be able to jump the gun with what to say. Mina wanted to see her natural responses. Spontaneity was the best way to see this. "Is it important to you for him to like you?"

"Well, it's important for everyone to like me. I want to help everyone, after all. While ever they fear me, I will be locked in this room." Gwena slowly rose to her feet and walked over to the dressing table, making sure to stick to the wall line to give Mina as much space as possible. She put the bush in the draw, and picked up a glass. "Would you like a drink of water?"

"Yes please." Mina watched the Wraith walk over to a kitchenette area, grab a clean glass and pour them both a drink. She then walked back over to the dresser, put Mina's drink there, and returned to the bed. "Thank you." Mina retrieved her drink, thankful the woman wasn't going to make her take it from her _hand_... Mina then furrowed her eyebrows and pointed to her as she took a sip of her water. "Why are you drinking water?"

"Hmm? Oh, not for nutritional needs. I simply...enjoy it. I guess it's an old habit." There was a sadness in her crimson eyes, which lowered to stare down her glass.

"I see...are there any other old habits you still do?"

"I am unsure. Within myself I feel as if I am the same as before. It's only when I look at myself, or other people look at me that I feel...different."

"Do you _miss_ being human?"

Ordinarily Mina used a more gently gently approach to getting her patient to trust her and volunteer their thoughts and feelings. But so far Gwena had been totally honest and wearing her heart on her sleeve. This kind of woman clearly didn't see the value of keeping secrets, or being discrete.

"Of course." She smiled sadly. "If I hadn't don't this I would be with my father now." Her eyes were watering, and her hands were trembling around the glass of water. "If I hadn't been so rash I could have left with my father and ascended with him."

"You think your decision was rash?"

"Well." She looked up and smiled sadly, a tear falling down her cheek. "It was certainly badly timed." She laughed sadly, putting her glass down on the floor.

"Yes, I have been briefed on all the information you have already provided us. The project had already been scrapped in favour of evacuating the city before you..."

"Changed?" she offered, smoothing her hands down her legs. "Yes, you are quite right. My father was so...I might have well have died when he had to leave me behind...the way he looked at me..."

Mina watched the woman, no, the _girl_ put her face in her hands and sob. Her shoulders shook with it, and the urge to go and comfort her was strong.

Her self preservation was stronger.

"I didn't mean to upset you Gwena."

"No, no it's ok." She sniffed and wiped her face with her hands. "I promised myself I wouldn't cry anymore. I cried for 3 months after they left, before I got the courage up to enter the stasis chamber." Mina felt her heart ache for the girl.

Her people didn't just leave her, they left her alone. They left her to enter the sleeplessness of a stasis pod, alone. It didn't take her years of training to see the girl before her was incredibly lonely.

"You have been very honest with me Gwena." That caught her attention. "We've made progress today and I'd like to leave it there."

"Oh, ok." She smiled at her sadly, only to frown when Mina collected her things and headed for the door. "Oh, so you're leaving then?"

"Our session is over. I'll be back tomorrow."

"In-in the morning?" Gwena got to her feet and took a couple of desperate steps, before forcing herself to stop. She could sense Mina tense up from her approach. "Or you could stay a while." There was a desperation in her eyes, and it hurt Mina to stay her ground. But she was a professional.

"I'll be back tomorrow morning Gwena. Take care." She waved her off and knocked on the door. The guards opened it, 6 guns aimed at her. Mina gulped, let one of them grab her bicep and rag her out, before locking the door again. One of the armed soldiers grabbed her wrist and yanked her down the corridor. "You don't have to pull me so hard Izzy."

"What?! I don't, do I?" Isabelle jerked her friend to a stop, stomping her foot and pointing at her face. "You just had some alone time with a freaking Wraith Queen?! You never mentioned this little arrangement last night!" She hissed, fisting her hands by her sides and aiming her sharp blue eyes at her slightly amused friend. "What?!"

"I found out this morning Izzy." She giggled and patted her shoulder, calming her considerably. A trick she learned quickly after befriending the ticking time bomb. "Come on. let's go get coffee and I'll tell you nothing about it."

"...spoil sport." Izzy sulked, hating doctor patient confidentially. She always said that the perk of having a shrink as a friend was _surely _the juicy gossip. Somehow that line never worked for her... "Could be worse."

"Oh, how so?" the women sat in the canteen with cups of coffee. Mina jotted down notes about her session with Gwena, but held the clipboard at an angle so her curious friend couldn't see.

"Well, at least the Wraith you're having sessions with isn't Todd. That guy is fucking scary." Izzy pushed a stray lock of brown hair behind her ears, having it down on her shoulders today. "I practically told me he wants to see me on the battle field so he can kill me."

"Nah." Mina sipped her coffee, cool as a cucumber. "He'll torture you for days first." Izzy almost spat her coffee out. "Trust me. I saw how he was looking at you. Psychopaths look at their victims that way. Half way between hunger and lust." Mina giggled at her wigged out friend, who was doing a very cute impression of a gaping gold fish. "Well, it was either that or he _liked_ you."

"...ew...somehow the prospect of Todd wanting to get his jiggy on with me is _worse_ than the prospect of excruciating prolonged torture and death."

"Yes, I thought you'd think that." Mina grinned with glee and snickering to herself. Izzy had just physically shivered all over at the thought of Todd.

"ew ew ew."

_3 weeks later._

"...come again?"

"Oh lord." Mina pinched her nose and took a depth breath. Sam smiled when she pushed her glasses up her nose, much like Daniel did when he was about to plead the case of yet another civilisation of people they need to save. "I have been visiting this girl-"

"Wraith." John Sheppard cut in with maximum snarky bad boy charm, his speciality.

"..." Mina almost channelled Izzy and glared at him. "_girl_, Colonel. The patient is a 16 year old _girl_, trapped in a Wraith's body."

"Like I said." John folded his arms and grinned sarcastically. "_Wraith_."

"SHE." Mina stopped herself, having raised her voice out of frustration. "Ahem. Gwena in my professional opinion is _not_ dangerous. I have had daily meetings with her for 3 weeks and she fits the profile of a teenage adolescent with severe abandonment issues and the desperate need for approval." Mina had her business face on, and as this was business, focused on the Boss lady.

Mina was stood before the unofficial council of Atlantis. Sam, the head, John, her second in command, Teyla, the heart, Ronon, the military adviser to John, and Rodney, who...well he was Rodney. He had to be present for everything to fix everything.

"_Not_ dangerous." Ronon laughed with disbelief. "The _Queen Wraith_ is not _dangerous?_"

"She wasn't born and raised a Wraith. She has been transformed into one. Her mind is still that of a 16 year old girl." Mina folded her arms, becoming really annoyed with all the arduous resistance she was getting. "Who's people were under threat of annihilation, her father's life work being what she believed the answer to their problems. Her need for reaffirmed approval started with a wraith queen killing her mother, and then she watched as her people were being picked off. Her father believed his project was the answer!" She threw her arms around, gesturing passionately with her hands as she spoke. "He said he would do it if he was a woman. It would only work with females and Gwena is a female. _She_ thought she was doing her duty to her father and her people."

"Becoming a Wraith was her duty?" John raised a brow at her, and shared a 'still don't get it' look with Ronon.

"She sacrificed herself for her people." Teyla leaned forward on the desk and shared a sympathetic thought for the girl. "An admirable quality we all share."

"Thank you!" Mina had at least reached _someone_. "And she is _incapable_ of feeding off humans, right?" she rounded on Rodney who pursed his lips, as if reluctant to release his words into the room. But alas, this was Rodney McKay. His expert opinion and findings were always relevant.

"Yes the local databank in the lab supports that she can't feed off of humans. We're not on _her_ menu."

"So what threat is a scared little girl? All she wants is someone to care about her. There isn't a violent bone in her body."

"Erm, Doc." Ronon piped up again. "She's a _waith._ Their bones are violent as standard."

"Wow, that was good big guy." John high fived him, despite the heated glare he got for the immature display from Sam.

"Regardless." The commander finally spoke up. "If we agreed with you that she no longer had to be guarded 24/7 by an armed squad of guards, we couldn't take all eyes off her. she'd need watching. And...if she really is 16 she needs a guardian." Sam rounded her gaze on the doctor and questioned her conviction. Mina nodded, knowing what she'd have to be willing to do.

"I'll take her."

The room was silent. "Well, no one knows or trusts her more than I do. I can also remain objective and spot the first signs of anything worrying in her behaviour. I'll be her guardian." She felt a massive weight of commitment suddenly plummet into her stomach, making worrisome knots there and gnawing at her common sense. Did she really just agree to 'mommy' Gwen? Apparently she had.

"No offence, but if she does pull a fast one, and let's be fair here, she's a Wraith. That is very likely to happen. If she does turn coat." John raised a hand, stopping Mina from interrupting him. "I said _if_...then you're not equipped or trained to handle the situation. Spotting it is one thing. Dealing with it is another thing entirely."

"..." he had her there. What could a Shrink do against an enraged Queen Wraith? A Super Queen Wraith no less?

As she was panicking and the images of Gwena in a holding cell for the rest of her life appeared into her mind, there was a knocking at the door. All eyes turned to it, and Sam got up from her seat to open it. Her curious eyes fixed into a 'oh really?' look when she found a fidgeting Isabelle Reynolds stood there.

"Now before you court marshal me for eavesdropping, I came by thinking you'd be done to pick up Mina. She's my friend. Has been for 6 years. Mam." She saluted her commander and gulped deeply. Sam folded her arms and opened her mouth, sarcasm dripping from her every word.

"...you usually say 'before you court marshal me' and follow it with a _reason_ not to do so. Not _why_ you were eavesdropping in the first place...?"

"Oh right." She coughed to clear her throat, not daring to lower her hand from its respectful position by her forehead. "I'll do it."

"...you'll do what exactly?" Sam side stepped and allowed the rest of the room to see and hear her.

"I'll be the guard that shoots the wraith if she freaks out, Mam."

Mina dropped her face into her hands. Why couldn't Izzy just let her deal with it on her own? She knew full well that Izzy had been hiding behind the door the whole time. She didn't do _anything_ by accident.

_Now she's going to get herself dishonourably discharged. Damn it Izzy!"_

"Are you alright with that Dr Swift?" Mina's eyes widened and she snapped her head out of her hands to look at the commander.

"...yes. That's fine."

"You'll have to all live in the same quarters?" Sam walked back to her place in the middle of the desk, ignoring the astounded faces of disbelief from her colleagues.

"That's fine commander." Mina nodded frantically, amazed at what just happened.

Despite her hate for wraith, Izzy had just volunteered to live with one for Mina's sake. She would _so_ owe her one for this.

"Alright then. I'll arrange for you all to me moved to a secure location away from everyone else. Just need to find the right place with 3 bedrooms. Step forward Reynolds."

"Yes Mam!" Isabelle marched forward and stood to attention before the commander.

"...this is your last chance. Understood?"

"Yes Mam. Thank you for the opportunity Mam." she saluted her again, like an obedient little dog. Sam resisted the urge to smile.

"You will of course be unarmed around her. we can't risk her getting her hands on a gun."

"Yes Mam." Sam regarded her, then looked to Mina who was _showing_ her anxiety.

"I'm only agreeing to this as your specialism is hand to hand combat."

"Yes Mam. Thank you Mam."

"...go back to your quarters for now. I'll let you know when you're moving."

"Yes Mam. Thank you Mam." Izzy turned on her heel and marched out of the room, hooking arms with Mina and dragging her all the way to her room. She pushed the redhead inside and waited for the door to close behind them. "You fucking nutter."

"Thank you for volunteering to be her guard Izzy." Mina prepared herself for a good 30 minutes of being snarled at. She'd probably tell her every reason why they _shouldn't _do this, before telling her they were insane, and then question why she'd agreed to help her. Her friend would then finish with something along the lines of 'you owe me big time missy', before they'd be perfect friends again.

"What the _hell_ Mina!" She hissed, pacing the room and running her hands back through her hair desperately. "A Wraith! We're going to be babysitting a _freaking_ Wraith!"

"She used to be human." Mina added, despite the fact her friend wasn't listening. She decided to wait out the storm on her bed, picking up Gwena's patient file and adding to it.

"She could _eat us!_ Like, in our sleep!"

"She can't feed on humans. Only power packs." Mina added boredly, wondering if she'd be allowed to go and tell Gwena the good news tomorrow, and how soon they'd be able to move in together. That girl was in a crucial stage in her development where she would solidify her perspective of right and wrong. She needed a parental role model to give her positive reinforcement and help her secure her morels accordingly. She hadn't particularly planned it being _her..._but she smiled. She was actually looking forward to it. these last few weeks had been very amusing.

"Like, hands nom nom nom!" Mina spared a cynical look to her ranting friend, before returning to her thoughts. She remembered the second time she'd turned up for a therapy session. Gwena had put a pair of oven gloves on her hands, stating that she might be more comfortable around her if she thought her hands were incapable of hurting her.

The third time Gwena had made her a sandwich. A pickle sandwich. It was literally just bread and a long piece of green pickle in the middle. She'd beamed a smile and said that the guard said that this was his favourite sandwich, so she'd requested it for her.

Every time after that Mina had opened up to the young woman, unable to remain stoic in her presence. Once you looked past the ancient-turned-wraith exterior, she was just a 16 year old eager to please and desperate for company. That's when she'd started to stay after their therapy sessions. Mina also brought things like jigsaws and board games with her to play with. Monopoly had been her favourite. That made her giggle.

"_I am unsure about the pieces of this board. I do not recognise the items, except for this one. This seems to be some sort of canine and that is a piece of clothing."_

"_Yes Gwena, that's a top hat."_

"_Well of course. Where else would you put a hat but on the top?" _

"_...No it...it's called a top hat because of the __style__ of hat it is."_

"_...is there a style where the hat goes on the bottom then? That is very strange."_

Mina suppressed the urge to actually giggle at the memory and tuned her friend's ranting.

"I mean, I panicked. I heard you being grilled in there and I acted." Izzy at lowered to her bum on the floor holding her head as she shook it. "I always do that. I never think before I act. It's inherited you know, not thinking first. My dad was the same."

_So we've reached the 'I'm insane' and why I did it part. Right, not long before she accepts it then._

Mina put her book down and started to think about bringing Gwena some books. _Would she be able to read English? I suppose I could ask around to see if there is a way of translating English into Ancient..._

"I want you to promise me we're going to be careful about this." Mina rejoined the conversation at that, her friend finally addressing her directly.

"Of course."

"I mean it because this is some serious shit we've signed up for." Izzy pointed at her with a worried yet determined gaze. "I won't let her hurt you or anyone else."

"We'll be careful. And don't worry. Once you get to know her you'll like her too. She's a sweet girl really."

"...sweet human eating girl...sure..."

"Oh Isabelle." Mina snapped, contemplating throwing the damn book at her. "She. Does. Not. Eat. Humans. She consumes that goo in the power packs."

"...right...sure..."

"Just _try_ to like her? please?" Mina walked over to her friend and knelt before her. She put her hands on her shoulders, getting her friend to look at her reluctantly.

Izzy hated when she got her in 'the look'. Her glasses would slide halfway down her nose and her baby blues would almost stick to hers. "This girl has been through hell. She needs people to believe in her. she needs role models. She needs friends and family. We can be what she needs, but looking at her as 'a human eating wraith' is only going to hurt her. she doesn't deserve that."

"but-"

"Isabelle." Her tone was strong but filled with compassion. It stripped any of her arguments from her tongue. "This 16 year old girl ended her life as a human as she knew it to save her people. Her people then abandoned her. Her own father left her here to rot. He looked at her like she'd _died_. And yet she still only wants someone to actually care about her. she is still sweet. She is still good." She raised a hand and pushed a stray lock of brown hair behind her friend's ear. "It's already a miracle this girl doesn't have resentment issues. All she needs is some goodness. Can we be that goodness for her?"

"...i'm a bitch though..."

"True."

"Hay!" Izzy pouted angrily, only for her friend to chuckle at her display.

"You're a good bitch though. You'll be a strong figure for her to look up to. I'll do all the motherly things."

"Oh, good." Mina then smiled, patted her head, and returned to her bed and her book. "...wait a minute..." Izzy jumped to her feet comically and pointed at her friend. "If you're the mom then I'm the dad?! I'm NOT being her daddy figure!"

"Of course you're not." Mina licked her finger and turned the page of her book. She had answered in perfect monotone, indicating she hadn't believed a _word_ she just said.

"OOOoooOOOOoooo!" Izzy hissed and stormed towards the door. She turned and had her last two cents before making her dramatic exit. "You owe me BIG TIME for this missy!"

Mina smiled to herself as she looked to the next page, alone at last.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

At first the relationships within the trio had been strained.

Mina was always in the middle, Gwena mentally clung to her and got burned every time she tried to get close to Izzy. For a start the woman wouldn't let her come near her. She wasn't allowed to touch her. She wouldn't join in any games, and Mina soon found that Gwena would suddenly start whimpering after hearing something rather nasty leave the soldier's head.

Mina would have to take Gwena to her room, rub her back and comfort her.

"Look Gwena, she'll come round. She's a complicated woman who shoots first and trusts later. This isn't her natural habitat and she'll need time to adjust. Once she does, she'll be a fierce friend. I promise."

"...she thinks I'm a monster."

"Oh honey." Mina cooed her, stroking her long white hair. "She's not as open minded as I am. She'll come round though. Be strong ok?"

"...you really believe she'll like me if I just keep trying?" the girl sniffled, looking up at her with big blue eyes.

"Yes of course!" the redhead wiped the tears from her face.

It was proving difficult however. Izzy was getting stir crazy from having to stay in the apartment all the time, and she was starting to feel like an outsider.

"Isabelle." Gwena put her hands behind her back as she approached the highly strung woman. "I'm sorry about this. I can sense that you're feeling rather lonely. I-I'll back off. I'll stay in my room and you and Mina can spend time together again. You've been friends for years and now I've come along and you're fighting all the time."

"...kid, we're not-"

"I don't have to be a telepath to hear you yelling at each other." Izzy blinked at her. well, she had her there. "I...I never meant to take her away from you." She started to tear up and hold herself. Izzy felt her conscious kicking her pride in the ass.

"Listen kid you're not-"

"It's ok. I just wanted to say I'm sorry." With that Gwena turned tail and locked herself in her room.

After that it was a case of who would back down first.

Mina was taking the 'you will go and fix this right now' stance and trying to coax the young wraith out of her room.

Gwena was insisting through the door she was fine, she was happy, and she shouldn't worry.

Izzy was taking the 'it's not my fucking fault she's locked herself in there?!' stance and feeling like an utter bitch.

Guess who caved...?

"Kid, get your _ass_ out of that room. Mina the monopoly queen needs to go down and I need a wing man." Izzy leaned against the door way and had her arms folded, sulking. "Oi, kid, I mean _now_." the door opened, and a very timid white haired girl popped her head out.

"...are you sure?"

"Right...the _psychic_ kid is asking if I'm _sure_...?"

"...I get your point." A light returned to those red eyes, and she stepped out. Mina was doing mental cartwheels and setting up the board on the floor already. "...thank you for your acceptance Isabelle. I won't let you down." She moved to hug her, only to see Izzy jump backwards.

"Hay, baby steps kid. Baby steps."

4 months had now passed.

They'd had to puddle jumper out of Atlantis to evacuate 3 times, avoid inhalation twice and Gwena added survive Izzy's cooking.

"Oi brat, not funny." She hissed, flipping an omelette. "I can cook!"

"I am under the impression that an omelette should be in one piece, and contain no remnants of egg shell."

"Cheeky little shit, ain't cha?" Izzy grinned to herself privately.

"Watch your language Izzy." Mina chided, enjoying the normalcy of the family dinner. Although Gwena didn't _need_ to eat food, she enjoyed doing so to feel as normal as the rest of them. She also seemed to greatly enjoy the family dinner environment. Mina still had patients so she had to leave for her sessions. Izzy had to stay with the wraith all the time. this was having an effect on her sense of humour...

"What? The kid started it. She should mess with a Texan girl's cooking. Besides, it's not a fair representation of my skills. There isn't enough meat rations to go around. Although there is rumour of a trade going down for regular beef in the next trade with the Angolans. Oh yeah, beef steak. _Then_ you'll think I'm the _best_ cook in the galaxy."

Gwena giggled, shuffling closer to Mina, who rolled her eyes at what she wanted.

"Turn that way then."

"Thank you Mina." She beamed, enjoying the feeling of her thick white hair being braided into little plats. She didn't do the whole thing, just the odd one here and there. She regularly did the long prongs of her fringe for her, and tied them around the back of her hair.

"You know it would just be easier to lop the whole lot off, right?"

"Izzy?!" Gwena grabbed her hair defensively.

"What? I can use a kitchen knife and do it for you right now if you want?" Gwena pushed her lips together and looked to Mina desperately.

"Oh stop teasing her." Mina rolled her eyes at them both. "You're as bad as each other sometimes."

"Well, I could have offered to give her a Mohawk. That would be bad-ass!"

"Language Izzy!"

"Wups. It just slipped out." Izzy winked at Gwena, who couldn't stop beaming a smile.

However, all things come to an end sooner or later.

The door opened and in walked Samantha Carter. She observed the domestic scene with a secret smile, before her newly promoted Lieutenant jumped to her feet and saluted her commander.

"Our charge is progressing as reported and continues to be a model citizen Mam!"

"Relax Reynolds. At ease." Izzy lowered her salute, but still stood.

"Mam?"

"I'm not here about Gwena. I know she's behaving. Oh, and Rodney says thank you for the encryption code you deciphered for him the other day." Sam nodded to the young blue alien. "Although, he won't admit he's thankful when you see him next."

"That's alright. He may not say it but he thinks it." She giggled against Mina, who was stroking her hair.

Sam smiled at the scene. They really were a little family now. it was nice that they had all found each other.

"How can I help you then?" Izzy finally relaxed, putting her hands lazily on her hips.

"Ah...well...Todd's back." Izzy's eyes widened and her body stiffened. Her left eye twitched and she cocked her head to one side.

"Am I still at ease Mam?"

"As long as you are respectful, yes."

"Right..." Izzy turned to Mina.

"Oh boy." Gwena gulped, putting her hands over her ears. "She's pretty mad." Mina looked from Gwena to her twitching friend. "How would you do a rectal exam with a blow torch?"

"Oh dear lord Izzy!? Stop thinking vulgar things in front of Gwena!"

"Ahem, I'm about to do worse. Kid, to your room. Fingers in your ears."

"...yes Isabelle." Gwena took herself to her room, but listened intently, like anyone would in that situation.

"Oh holy fucking hell." Izzy ran a hand back through her chocolaty hair. "You have got to be shitting me." She made sure to swear at the fridge, definitely not her commanding officer. "Let me guess. He's insisting that I'm his whipping bitch again, right?"

"..." Sam couldn't help but chuckle to herself. Mina had dropped her head against the kitchen table, shaking it comically. Izzy was also amusing her greatly. "...good guess. Although he phrased it as his personal guard."

"Yeah, right." Izzy banged the fridge with her fist. "_aloud_ he said that. but in his head he definitely said whipping bitch. And I don't even need to be fekking psychic to know that. fuck!"

"Izzy!" Mina raised a hand from the table, but didn't lift her head. "Language."

"Grrrrr. Mam, I take it that 'go fuck yourself' wasn't an option? Mam."

"Trust me." Sam put her hands on her hips and laughed. Having gotten to know the younger woman better over these last few months she'd come to realise that her foul mouth was simply part of her...natural repertoire. She was by no means being disrespectful, and she also couldn't control it when she got worked up. After learning that, it was quite amusing to listen to her rant some times. "My lips formed the words when he first asked for you. However...he's approached us with a power core."

"So snatch the fucker off him and send the bastard packing." Izzy was pacing. Izzy only paced when she was _not_ a happy bunny. Mina looked to her charge's door. How much was she hearing?

"Alas, no. You see it's not an Ancient one, per say. It's a Naquadah infused Wraith power core. One of the larger factions managed to steal some naquadah from one of our Alpha sites and we need to figure out a way of defusing these cores, and how to detect any ships carrying them before they amass enough of a force to start an attack on...well everyone." Sam spoke casually, but you knew she was being deadly serious. "It's Wraith technology so we..._need_ Todd."

"...and let me freaking guess. Chuckles has refused to help unless I'm there to be his whipping bitch?"

"He said...yeah pretty much." Sam conceded, trying not to laugh at the colour of red Izzy's face went.

"Oh hell. Bastard's going to have to get what he wants. Again." She made a step for the door, then stopped. "...Gwena. Who'll-"

"I'm putting guards outside the room for this occasion. But I'm sure she can stay in the apartment with Dr Swift on her own for now...right?"

"Yes that's fine." Mina added, making her way over to the door. She just _knew_ that girl would be pressing her ear to the door, listening intently.

"Right." Izzy followed Sam outside the apartment, then rounded on the four armed guards. "Listen to me for important information about your safety." Sam turned and listened curiously. _Reynolds said that Gwena is like a kitten without claws. Why would she need to give them safety tips?_ "Listening? Good." She cleared her throat, then wore the scariest maternal snarl you'd ever seen. "If any of you fuckers get trigger happy and even _breath_ near Gwena I'm going to fuck you up. I'll start with your face with my fist, then I'll play acupuncture fun with my Swiss army knife and you junk. Nod if you understand?" they just stared at her with wide eyes. "_I said nod if you understand_." She seethed, blue eyes ablaze, and a fist raised...they all started nodding. "...good. you will NOT enter that room unless Mina tells you to. Which she won't. You will NOT touch that child. Understand?" They all nod. "If you do I'm going to fuck you up. Understand?" they all nod and back up against the wall. "Goooooood. Have a nice day boys." Izzy turned on her feet and stomped over to her commander, who had her mouth in her hands. "Not funny."

"Oh yes it is."

"I want a really big gun."

"You'll get your issued p-90 back." Sam walked next to the women, feeling the heat of her rage radiating out from the pissy brunette.

"...not big enough..." She sulked all the way to Rodney's lab. She stood in the doorway and turned to one of the guards. "Gun me." Sam nodded to him to disarm, and he handed it over. "Good afternoon skippy. Miss me that much did you?"

Todd was restrained with his colossal hands cuffed together and to a thick padded belt. He _had_ been bent over one of his data panels, Rodney cautiously around the other side of the core. As soon as he heard her the Wraith stood to his full height and grinned from ear to ear at her. "Stop doing that."

"Stop what? I am smiling. I am happy to see you."

"...right." Izzy turned to Sam, who waved her off with a sympathetic look and left her to her fate. "You know I had to leave a perfectly good desert for this. We'd managed to get some really sweet mangoes to grow this season, and I'm not going to get any now." Izzy took her sulky self off to the corner and aimed her gun at his face. Todd just snickered to himself and returned to staring at the data on the screen.

"Yes, I imagine not getting any _would_ put you in a foul mood."

"OOOoooooo so lame." She growled to herself, annoyed that she'd allowed herself to walk into that one. "You've had 4 months and that's the best you can do chuckles?"

"I have a fun hand trick I could show you?" he grinned, loving the feeling of her narrowed eyes on the back of his head.

"A ha...you know what, I'll pass. I've seen that trick before and it's not all that great."

That's how it went for a while. They exchanged snarky comments and slaging matches. Todd seemed to be determined to wind her up to the breaking point, where as she seemed to be contemplating letting him... "Listen bozo, it's been a while since I've had the chance to shoot at a Wraith. Why don't you just turn around and run at me huh? Then I can claim self defence."

"Or you could run at me and _I _could claim self defence. And dinner."

"Ladies ladies please." Rodney groaned, peering over his control pad to stare boredly at the two of them. "You're both very pretty and very scary. Can we get back to work now?"

They both stared at him, and he started to question if he should run for the door...

"_Or_ I could run at _him_, you could say I overpowered you first, and we both have an excuse."

"Tempting skippy, but Gwena would never forgive...me..."

Shit.

Shit shit shit shit.

"Oh?" Todd turned away from his work then and grinned at her, clearly deciding to act on her slip up. "And _who_ is Gwena?"

"My kid." She put up whatever shields around her head she possibly could to keep him out. "She finds him amusing."

"Oh. You have a child?" he took a step towards her, tilting his head to one side. She braced herself. He always did that when he intended to mind fuck you. "Well that's interesting. You're blocking me...or rather, you're _resisting_." He grinned toothily after a few seconds of staring at her. "I didn't realise you had such a soft spot for my kind Isabelle." Izzy felt her brain buzz with pain. She grabbed her head with one hand, trying hard to push him out, whilst the other hand lifted the p-90 to his chest.

"Todd." Rodney whined. "What are you doing?" He started scrambling to the door to call the guards in.

"A wraith girl? The mind I sensed last time I was here was a young queen. Interesting." He was so close now her gun pointed into his chest. "Silly girl. I'm so far inside your head right now you couldn't pull that trigger even if you wanted to." She hissed, feeling her hand burn cold, her fingers shaking and the gun falling to the floor. She shaped both hands to her head. His voice boomed in her skull, claws gripping at her mind.

"Get the fuck out!"

"Oh no, I want to know more about this queen you have here. And why is she _your_ Kid?" the door opened wide and chaos ensued. As Rodney opened the door to yell for the guards, he found them shooting down the hall at something.

Before he could blink something ran past him into the room. The Canadian genius turned round in time to see Todd soar through the air and collide against the wall like a crash dummy. Soldiers barged past him into the room so he had to fight his way towards the very volatile power core. He was about to scream that they needed to stay away from it so they didn't set it into an overload, when he saw all the guns in the room zoom out of the guards' hands, and plant themselves into the ceiling.

"Gwena." Izzy clawed herself up the wall, bracing herself as her mind started to clear. The young Wraith stood in front of her, arms by her sides and her lips peeled back over her sharp teeth. She hissed, the sound eerily echoing around the room and her mind. "G-Gwena." Izzy tried to get in front of her to protect her from Todd, but the girl side stepped, covering her instead.

"I felt him invade your mind." She snarled, glaring at Todd. He'd managed to get to his feet and seemed to think he could overpower her with his glare alone. "I felt your pain Izzy. I couldn't let him hurt you. Please don't be mad Izzy."

"I'm not kid. I'm not." Izzy rubbed her face, then noticed the ceiling. "why are all the guns up there?"

"Oh, do you want one?" Gwena waved her hand absentmindedly, and one of the p-90's floated down into Izzy's hands.

"Ooooookay. Didn't know you could do that kid."

"You never asked." She stated matter-of-factly. "What shall I do with him Izzy?"

"Wow, nothing kid." Izzy barred her arm around her chest and held her against her front. "I'll deal with this." She chuckled nervously at the bewildered guards. "Yeah, she's with me. He's going to have a time out now, right?" John Sheppard and Ronon skidded into the room and comically did a double take from Gwena to Todd.

"Explanation. Now." John demanded, looking from the guns glued to the ceiling, to Todd, to Gwena, and then to Izzy.

"Todd attacked me mentally. Gwena sensed it and ran to my rescue. She didn't hurt anyone...right?" she looked down at her charge, who turned in her arms and held her tightly.

"I only hurt Todd."

"Yeah, see." She rubbed the girl's back, pointing at a hissing Todd with the p-90. "She didn't hurt anyone but Todd."

"How did you get out of your room?!" John snapped, ordering the guards to take Todd to a holding cell.

"I sent the guards to sleep." Gwena lifted her head from Izzy's chest and looked to John. He bright red eyes were watery with tears. "I'm sorry I didn't stay in my room. But I felt Todd attacking her and I'm not strong enough to defend her from far away. I had to get here to pull him out of her mind."

"It's my fault sir." Izzy put the p-90 on the table after Todd was dragged hissing and writhing from the lab. He clearly wanted to hear more. The brunette put her hands on the girl's shoulders. "I let slip Gwena's name. He wanted to know who she was and attacked my mind." She shivered at the feeling of his 'claws' in her brain. "Gwena's been teaching me how to resist mental manipulation. Thing is, it was working. That sick bastard seemed to find that some sort of turn on and pressed harder. Thus the pain."

"Thus me running here." Gwena nodded, hugging Izzy tighter. "Are you ok?"

"I'm find kid. Now stop squeezing me so damn tight. I'm not going to disappear." She awkwardly patted the girl's head. "Anyway, I'm going to be in _so_ much trouble for this. Then again...it's better than having brain jelly, right?" Gwena started to giggle incessantly. "What?"

"Brain jelly." the two women started giggling...only for John to storm over and aim his gun at her. "What?! D-don't hurt me please!"

"Put the guns down." He snapped at her. she blinked, and they all fell to the floor. "Right, back to your room. Now." Gwena took Izzy's hand and they both started heading for the door. "No, not you Reynolds. You're going to the infirmary."

"She is perfectly healthy." Gwena beamed a smile at him, nodding so he'd believe her. "I checked."

"Do it." Izzy patted her snowy head and signed at her.

"Be good, go back to Mina, let her fuss over you and don't tell her off when she blames me for everything. It'll be _my _fault. I just _know_ it."

"Why couldn't you just _ignore_ him?!" Izzy let her head loll forward with exhaustion.

She'd reported to the infirmary, had all sorts of scans on her head, to be given the all clear. Then she had to report to Sam's office and explain herself. She was berated for an hour. She had to defend Gwena and explain that she didn't hurt anyone and she still isn't a threat. Izzy took full responsibility for the incident. She was finally dismissed to return home...

"Well it's not like I _asked_ him to attack me?!"

This wasn't Sam's office. She wasn't taking the blame in her own home. "Todd is eeeeeeevil. Evil evil evil. He only asks for me to guard him because he likes to get under my skin and piss me off." Izzy huffed, sat at the table and nursing a coffee. "I'm hoping after today they just shoot him and be done with it."

"That is not the point! You could have gotten Gwena in some _serious_ trouble today!" Mina towered over her friend and wagged her finger at her. "She had to come and save you and now they think she's dangerous again."

"...she didn't hurt anyone."

"No she didn't." Mina pushed her glasses up her nose and stomped her foot. "But she showed them she has the ability to hurt people of she wanted to. You and I know she's a teddy bear. But they don't."

"Look, I won't have to deal with him again. There's no way I'll have to stick with him now he's attacked me." She took a much needed gulp of coffee. "So can we drop this now please?"

"But-"

"Look!" Izzy jumped to her feet and allowed all her feathers to ruffle. "_He_ is the bad guy. We shouldn't be trusting that motherfucker in the first place. So why is it that everyone is getting their panties in a twist about me and Gwena? _He attacked me!"_ she snarled and stomped off to her room to sulk. She'd had to accept all responsibility to her boss. The least she could expect from her friend is her support and belief. Not an ear full.

30 minutes later her bedroom door opened and she moaned. Was Mina coming for round two? To take another bite out of her.

"Mina." She raised her head at that. It was Gwena.

"Yeah kid?" Izzy shoved her hair behind her ears and beckoned the girl to come over and join her on the bed. "You ok?"

"I'm sorry Izzy. I just wanted to protect you and now I've got you in lots of trouble. Did I do the wrong thing? Should I have let him hurt you?"

"No, you did the right thing. Believe me kid am _I _grateful for your assist!" She chuckled, patting her head affectionately. "The others don't know you like me and Mina do. But they will. With time...why you smiling at me?"

"Mina said the same thing about you."

"Well there you go." She grinned at her, and gave her a knuckle sandwich to her snowy head. "And if you can win me over you'll win'em all over."

"Stop that." Gwena giggled, grabbing the older woman's hand and placing in on her lap. "I'm serious. I'm sorry you're in trouble because of me. You shouldn't have to take responsibility for _my _actions."

Izzy looked at the girl before her and smiled softly. It was times like these where she saw a real maturity about the girl. That was the thing about Gwena. She reminded you that she'd been raised by the ancients when she summoned forth great wisdom and knowledge. "I'm more than happy to request Samantha Carter's presence and tell her that I-"

"Nope."

"But I can-"

"Not going to happen." Izzy lowered to her back and yanked the girl with her. "Now shut up and sleep. It's late."

"I'm not sharing a bed with you." Gwena wriggled for freedom awkwardly. "I've learnt my lesson! You hog the bed and then wrap your arms and legs around me! No thank-oof." she fell out of the bed and landed on her ass. "...that hurt."

"Go to bed then squirt." Izzy turned over and pulled the covers under her chin. "Night."

"Good night Isabelle. Sleep well." Izzy felt her hand rest on her back for a moment, before she slipped out of her room.

She was a puzzle that girl. But she was definitely good.

Izzy slipped into a dream easily that night. The knowledge that she'd never have to see Todd again was enough for anyone to have a good night's rest.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter. 6

"You have _got_ to be shitting me."

"It's important." Rodney had appeared in their apartment the next morning and literally got down on his hands and knees. Sam was with him, not being as eager with her pleas. "The core started to destabilise in the night and now I can't get the temperature to stop rising. It's the Wraith part of the technology that's doing it and I don't have time to figure it out myself. I need Todd to do it."

"..." Izzy put her hands on her hips defiantly. "You are seriously going to make me go back into the same room as that motherfucker?"

"...well it would really help us not explode, yes." Rodney put his hands together, begging for her to agree.

"I'll have guards in the room with you this time." Sam added.

"I could go." Everyone was startled when Gwena appeared next the pissy brunette. "I could sit in the room and block any mental attacks he could make. In the same room I could do that." Gwena held onto Izzy's arm, looking to Sam pleadingly. "I would be seen and not heard. I wouldn't do anything unless he attacks first. I swear."

"No, not going to happen." Sam waved her hands in a 'hell no' fashion. "I can't risk Todd getting into your head and doing...anything."

"But!"

"It's ok." Mina put her hands on Gwena's shoulders, pulling her off Izzy. "She's prepared this time. And for all Todd knows you could appear at any second and kick his ass. Right?"

"...so she'll be alright."

"And then I'll be sure to shoot him if he looks at me sideways." Izzy added, took a gun off Sam and looked to Rodney. "It's urgent, right."

"You could say dire, yes." He gulped, edging towards the door. "Todd's waiting for us in the lab. So if you could..."

"Fine." She stomped out of the apartment without a second thought.

Not even for the fact she was in her pj's.

When she arrived she didn't miss the odd look Todd gave her as he looked her up and down.

Bare foot, three quarter black leggings, baggy black tank top and no bra. Oh, and the p-90. "Don't talk to me. Fix that." she gestured to the glowing power core, covered in pulsing dark purple veins. It was then she realised he hadn't got his cuffs on. he followed her gaze to his hands, which were holding diagnostic tools.

"I can't 'fix that' with my hands tied up." Todd rolled his eyes and returned to his work, as it actually was urgent that he stabilised it's cooling systems. "I know this is a life or death situation if this isn't fixed, but couldn't you put some clothes on? Or did you dress _down_ for me?" He smirked, his lips curling into a wicked grin.

Then it fell. "Cat got your tongue?"

"Nope. Just don't want to talk to you."

"Oh now don't sulk." He turned and looked at her with a condescending raised brow. "You started it. Don't bait me like that then hold back. It isn't nice to tease."

"Work." She snapped. He just chuckled at her and turned back to the core. What she didn't know is he'd already isolated the fault and had already fixed it. all he need to do was monitor it, to make sure the changes to the programming take the desired effect. So far, so good.

"Did I mention I knew a queen like you once? All work, no play."

"OH boy." She shook her head, unable to believe the sheer _nerve_ of this guy. "Buddy, if I was a queen wraith, I'd have shot you waaaaaaay back."

"Well...no..." Todd pretended to be very interested in the probe he was holding. "You'd have found my insolence incredibly arousing, used me for sex until I'd fertilised you, met your sexual appetite, _then_ killed me." He turned and lazily looked at her over his shoulder. She had turned red, from her neck to the tips of her ears. Her lips were pressed into an angry pout, blue eyes narrowed and arms folded.

"You are _such_ an asshole."

"Like I said." He smirked turning to his work. "I knew a queen like you." She then burned, realising what he was insinuating.

He was accusing her of finding him attractive!

Her hands shook, the gun rattling in her hand.

_I could just shoot him in the head. Just raise my hand and pull the trigger...nah Rodney and the guards would grass me up. I don't fancy killing everyone in a 1 mile radius to get away with killing __**him**_**. **

"Whatever." She forced herself to sound bored. Why should she give him the satisfaction of hissing or attacking him? He was wrong, obviously.

You know when someone tells you not to think about something...what do you do?

You think about it.

What do you do when you try _really_ hard _not_ to think about it?

You think about it _harder_.

She found herself looking Todd up and down.

He was certainly confident in his sexual prowess...and just an arrogant ass in general. Was he the attractive standard for Wraith? He was tall sure. She could see why that would be considered attractive. Tall human men were attractive. He _did_ look a badass in all that black leather. More so now he didn't' have his hands and arms pinned to his sides in thick cuffs. His fingers looked long hands supple as he deftly operated all the Wraith equipment. She wasn't a fan of facial hair. He didn't have much of it, just that goatee thing. That would have to _go_. She found herself thinking. His hair was also a mess. The dreads suited him, but they looked like they hadn't been given any sort of upkeep in a long time. _I like his tattoo._ She had to admit that. _it's just like the one on my hip. _His eyes were haunting though. Bright amber and filled with power. A chill ran down her spine, and she told herself it was from disgust.

"I'm starting to blush." Todd chuckled, loving the feeling of her mind jerking as he startled her.

_Shit, I didn't shield my mind._

"I was assessing you as a wraith male, not checking you out, asshole." She clicked her tongue against her teeth and raised a brow at him. "So don't flatter yourself fish face."

"How is my facial marking being the same as the one on your hip assessing me as a Wraith male specimen?" he then put his equipment down. He checked no one was listening, before whispering at her. "I doubt your tattoo is quite like mine. I would need to see proof before I believed you."

"Sure you would." She gave him the middle finger and blew him a kiss. "In your dreams asswipe. Now." she hissed, pointing at him with the gun. "Get back to fucking work." He simply started chuckling in his chest, returning to his work.

"You know it isn't uncommon for a Wraith to take a female wraith worshiper for the purpose of-" the barrel of her gun pressed into his back.

"Finish that sentence. Go on."

Rodney popped up from behind a control panel at that moment, and groaned.

"Can't you two just place nice? For once?"

"Of course Rodney." Todd was grinning from ear to ear, clearly amused with himself. "I was just informing Isabelle of a job opening on my ship. I think she has the perfect skills required for it. all right right..._equipment_..."

"Rodney, has he fixed the damn thing yet?"

"Oh, yes, that's what I came in to say. It's stabilised."

"Fan-fucking-tastic." She snapped at a guard to put the restraints back on Todd. Once he was fully restrained Izzy shoved her gun into another guard's chest. She glared at Todd, who was devilishly smirking at her. Content she had his attention, she then walked straight up to Rodney, fisted at his shirt and yanked him against her. She crashed her mouth into his and gave him a _wonderful_ time. his eyes practically rolled back into his head as she made out with him, dominating his mouth totally. She then grabbed his shoulders pushed him off her. "No offence Rodney but you're the last guy on this base I'd get busy with. You and the rest of the dweeb squad. And yet I would STILL." She rounded, hands on her hips and bedroom eyes on. "STILL fuck him before I'd touch a Wraith piece of scum like you Toddy. Hope you get shot!" she waved him off, faking a girly smile and storming out of the lab.

It took a few minutes before Rodney came back to reality and blushed madly. Todd seemed be conflicted. Should he be amused that he'd gotten under her skin she'd done something as drastic as launch herself at another man to prove her indifference to him...or envious that he hadn't experienced that kiss himself. Rodney's expression and reaction alone showed she was a good kisser. He imagined she'd be a passionate lover. Rough and violent in bed. Just how he liked them.

He shook it off as he was taken out of the lab and to his holding cell. All he wanted was to mess with her, and he'd succeeded. She was _human_.

_Then again...i really could use a sex slave. Perhaps I'll capture her on the battle field and break her in._ He smirked at that, also shaking that off. _Please, I have standards. _


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter. 7

"That one."

"You sure?" Rodney examined the crystal and then sceptically looked at the young Wraith. "Because this doesn't _look_ like part of the regulating feedback circuit."

"...it is." Gwena nodded, reaching for the crystal, when Rodney held it away from her.

"Alright alright." He looked at her with disbelief in his eyes as he entered it into the slot. The panel lit up as soon as he did. "Ah, alright then."

"It's ok Rodney. I was here when they built this machine. I had an unfair advantage." Gwena giggled, tucking her white hair behind her ears.

"...I would have figured that out."

"I know. I'm just helping you do it faster." Gwena looked over Rodney's shoulder to get a thumbs up from Mina.

They were in the lab where they found Gwena, and they were trying to learn everything they could about Wraith genetics. Rodney reasoned if they fixed the machines that they would be able to access all of the ancients' research. Beckett reasoned that that would be incredibly helpful, and Sam authorised it.

So here they were, on a family outing, so to speak. Izzy was sat in the middle of the floor sulking that they'd been there for 3 hours and she was, of course, bored now. Mina sat off to one side and watched Gwena interacting with Rodney, who had requested her presence in working out the kinks. Mina looked to her friend who was blowing and popping imaginary bubbles.

"I worry about you sometimes."

"I worry about you _all_ the time. You might want to see a psychiatrist." Izzy snickered, rolling her eyes to one side to smirk at her friend, before returning to the bubbles.

"I'll consider it."

They'd actually been coming to the lab for the last 4 days. After day 2 Rodney had made an amazing discovery. The ancient research had started to look into reversing the transformation from Wraith, back to human! That's what they were now working on, as Rodney's little side project. Little to say Gwena was very excited by this discovery. She'd been glued to Rodney's side ever since, trying to help him where ever possible.

"How are you doing Rodney?" he looked up from his panel, about to snap at the person who dared to interrupt his genius, to realise it was Gwena. Sure she seemed docile...but she was still a Wraith. He chuckled nervously and nodded.

"Great." He flashed a smile at her and jumped back to work. "I think I can get it to work."

"Then let's do it!" Gwena jumped to her feet and clapped her hands together. "I'm ready!"

"Hold on there." Rodney groaned, _hating_ it when he had to explain himself to people. It just wasted time. his valuable time. "We can't just do it."

"Why not?" Izzy approached them, hands on her hips and incredibly bored. "You just said you could get it to work?"

"Are you new to Atlantis or something?" Rodney folded his arms and squared off with the women. Mina was just listening patiently. Gwena had such high hopes in her desperate red eyes, pleading for him to do it. Izzy was scowling because he'd had the nerve to be an ass with her. "We don't 'just do it'. so many things could do wrong. This technology has been standing still and collecting dust for over 10,000 years for a start. And!" he cut in before Gwena could inform him that the machinery was all within working order. "There is a sample tissue issue." He rolled his eyes when no one in the room seemed to understand the problem. "how do you think the machine turned her into a Wraith in the first place?"

"It used synthetic Queen DNA and retrofitted it to mutate my DNA and physiology rapidly with the aid of the transformation pods." Gwena answered, sensing Izzy's mind to a double flip at that. she clearly didn't understand a word that had just been said...

"Right. So _how_ do you think we'll be able to turn you back?" he huffed, picking up his control panel again.

"Oh you need a human reference sample." Mina nodded. That made sense.

"And your DNA isn't on file. So we have to A, get female DNA sample to use, then create our own...virus? I think that's the best way to describe it." He plugged into the main control panel and started going through the system. "That will take time. _then_ there is a power issue. The circuitry in this thing is incredibly delicate. True we've replaced all the parts, but there are so many faults in the system as it is, we might only get one chance at this." He then looked up at the dejected teen. "So _no_, we're not going to 'just do it now'."

"Ok." Gwena held her elbows and leaned back against her adopted mothers. "But we're getting close, right?"

Rodney looked to her sad red eyes and his heart caved.

"Yes. In theory it will work. I just want to run some tests to make sure. And then we need to get the human sample spliced into the virus."

"human female DNA huh? You want to be a brunette or a redhead?" Izzy grinned down at her charge, running her hand through her thick white hair.

"She'd suit a redhead." Mina giggled, rubbing Gwena's shoulders and watching the girl comically look between them both.

"That isn't fair. I can't pick just one of you!"

"Well you have to." Izzy winked at her, then shared a smile with Mina. "Though if you don't want to risk having temper issues and a bad attitude, I'd go for Mina's blueprints if I were you."

"Yes you should." Mina chuckled, loving how Izzy bristled at that.

"Well you didn't have to agree so easily!"

The two women teased each other and were watched by a very happy wraith.

Rodney had to contain a smile and focus on his work. It was strange seeing them like this. In this galaxy they were always under attack, always risking dying every day. Seeing domestic normalcy like this just seemed...inspiring. it was a reason to keep fighting, to protect other families in this galaxy from the Wraith.

Everyone in the lab jumped out of their skin as the emergency alarm boomed through the base speakers.

"What the hell?" Rodney pulled his radio off his vest. "This is McKay here. What the hell is going on?"

"We're under siege! The Genii rebels we were trying to help out took the IDC off the team we sent them!" over the radio sounds of gun shots, screaming and explosions could be heard.

"What?!" Rodney started running for the door, looking nervously around the corridor. Gwena felt Mina's hands on her shoulders, all three women watching and listening for news.

"They've stormed the gate room. Carter is ordering all non military personal to lock themselves in their rooms or get to safe spots! All military personnel should report to their unit commanders in their designated zones!"

"Right." Rodney waved for the women to follow him, Mina holding Gwena tightly and Izzy leaping to the front. "You're not leaving us are you!?"

"Hell no." The angry brunette had her cold business face on. "I am unarmed and you are three civilians far from a safe spot." Gunfire started echoing further down the corridor. "Rodney, lock this door now!" Izzy shoved everyone back into the lab and stared through the doorway down the hall. "_now_ Rodney."

"Got it." he grabbed her arm and pulled her back into the room. "Right. No one is getting in this room without this crystal." He fisted at his hair, looking for the control pad. "Genii forces in Atlantis. Shit. Right." He skidded to his knees and hacked into the surveillance system through his control pad. Soldiers holding energy weapons, dressed as rag tag rebels, were storming through the halls. "This is _not_ good."

"Where is Sheppard and the SGA teams?"

"You mean _other_ than me?" Rodney felt the familiar pressure of doom building up around him. Adrenaline started coursing through his veins and his synapses started firing rapidly as he tried to think of a solution. "Right. John, Teyla and Ronan are in the armoury." He slid his fingers across the screen. "Sam is leading a unit against the gate room. Oh god..." he brought up a hologram in the middle of the room, and started messing with the main control panel. A tall 3d image of Atlantis floated in front of them. Blue dots whizzed around like crazy. Some of them were clumping together. "Just let me...oh god."

Half the dots on the screen remained blue. the other half turned yellow.

"What does that mean McKay?" Isabelle darted her eyes form the hologram to the stunned Dr. "Rodney! I can't handle the situation if I don't have the facts McKay!"

"I programmed the machine to use facial recognition software to locate and identify all registered Atlantis personnel...i told it to change the colour of everyone else..."

"So all those yellow dots." Izzy pointed at the hologram, feeling sick to her stomach, her steel blue gaze still on the Canadian. "Are Genii insurgents?"

"...yes."

"What is this red one?" Gwena pulled away from Mina's tight embrace to point at the hologram.

"You." Rodney dragged his eyes from the daunting hologram to the young girl. "Red dots are Wraith."

"...oh..." she gulped and stepped back into Mina's arms.

"Wait! You!" Rodney skidded around the desk and stopped just in front of her. "You have crazy Jedi powers!" She blinked up at him and cocked her head to one side.

"...excuse me?"

"You mean her psychic abilities?" Mina held the girl tighter. "You want to send a _child_ out against Genii soldiers?! Have you _lost_ your mind?! No!" the redhead pushed her glasses up her nose and went on momma bear over load.

"I could try." Gwena tried to pull out of Mina's embrace, but she wouldn't let go. "I could be a distraction at least. Could that help?"

"No!" Izzy kicked a piece of rubbish across the floor. "1, children don't fight, 2, I don't care if she's a super queen poptart in the making." She pointed at the hologram. "We haven't got enough intel to plan an attack. Look at this!" She picked up the control pad with the surveillance footage on it. "The Genii are taking over the base as we speak. A _distraction_ isn't going to fix this Rodney."

"Oh no...ah!" Gwena doubled over in pain, holding her head. Mina grabbed her, trying to see her head and find out what was wrong with her.

"Gwena?! Are you ok? Gwena?!"

"They're dying." Tears slugged down her cheeks, silence cutting through the chests of everyone in the room. "I can feel them dying. The noise of their minds screaming and disappearing." She turned into Mina's desperate hold and sobbed into her chest. Her mother figure turned to Rodney and Isabelle, hoping one of them would just tell her this wasn't happening. "I'm sorry." Gwena pursed her lips together and looked over her shoulder. "There are so many of them." She stared at the hologram with desperate worry, like everyone else in the room. Blue dots were starting to disappear..."I'm not strong enough. I can't take them all out on my own."

Rodney hurried to enter the system, trying to disable Atlantis's weapons so the Genii couldn't get their hands on them. He also tried to trap as many of them away from the populous as he could.

"Fuck." He snarled, kicking the leg of the terminal. "We just got locked out. I can't control anything outside of this room."

"Really?"

Isabelle walked slowly towards the stasis pods. She looked over her shoulder at the hologram, then at Gwena. The young girl opened her mouth in horror.

"NO!" Gwena started writhing against Mina's hold. "You can't!"

"Can't what?" Mina looked up from her charge to her best friend. "What can't you do?"

"Rodney." Izzy's voice was calm and filled with authority. "Can you still control the systems _in_ this room?"

"Well...yes but I hardly think that that's of any-"

"Fire that up." Izzy pointed to the stasis pod. Mina finally knew what Gwena was horrified about. "There are hundreds of them. They are killing our people. No one was prepared for this. We can hide here sure." She then pointed at the hologram, her eyes sharp and cold. "At the rate those blue dots are disappearing we'll be the last ones left. At some point they will start blasting rooms open to take hostages or kill people. We will not be safe here for long." Her eyes flashed over Gwena, worry in her gaze.

"You're worried they'll kill me." Her delicate little blue lips opened into a silent scream. "When they break in here and see a Wraith they'll kill me on sight..."

"They are killing _everyone_ on sight. Look." Izzy hissed. "Gwena tell me the truth. You can't take them out alone. Can two of us take them out?"

"No!" Mina whimpered, turning to Rodney, hoping he would refuse to do it. he said nothing. Her worried baby blues looked to her charge when she pulled out of her motherly embrace.

"...two wouldn't be enough." Gwena walked up to her strong guardian, seeing pain and torment in her eyes. the soldier hissed and banged her fists against her sides. She felt helpless. She was meant to protect everyone. She was a solider for a reason. All her life she'd trained to be the strong one. She had put her life on the line every time she jumped out of a plane, every time she stormed an enemy base, every time she held a gun. Every time she excepted her fate, and every time she fought with everything she was with the hope she would keep her friends and family safe for a little but longer.

At this rate she wasn't going to be able to protect the people she cared about most...they were going to be taken from her and she was the very thing she was scared of most. Being helpless.

Gwena reached a shaky hand up and took Izzy's hand. She didn't want her lips to open. She didn't want the next few words to come out. But before she knew it, they did. "But three could."

"What?" Mina felt her mind reeling. Her eyes caught another cluster of blue dots blip and vanish from the screen. Her heart was breaking. All those deaths. Why? "What do you mean three would?"

No one spoke for what seemed like an eternity. Gwena looked sadly to the floor. Izzy locked eyes with Mina and asked a silent question.

Mina felt her core shiver inside her.

Three could do it.

There were only two women in the room aside from Gwena. If three could do it...

She took her glasses off her face and stared at the hologram.

Another cluster of blue dots vanished. The sounds of screaming rasped over the radio.

"...She'll do it." Gwena looked over to Mina with tears slugging down her cheeks.

"Really?" Izzy ran over to her friend, seeing her baby blues looking hollow and empty.

"...yes. I can't stand here and let them all die."

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" Rodney looked at the woman, then flinched as banging started on the laboratory door. "Shit!"

"Rodney!" Izzy hissed at him. "Fire the bitch up and make us look pretty right now!" Izzy grabbed Mina's hand and dragged the distant woman over to the stasis pods. "Gwena help us."

The girl was still crying as she operated the controls to open the pods up. She chocked on her words as she told them to strip to their underwear.

"You can't!" Rodney felt his eyes watering, his hands fisting at his hair. "You don't understand. If I do this I'll use up the rest of the synthetic wraith sample! And the circuits could fry! This could be permin-"

"DO IT NOW!"

The banging on the door became heavier. They were also trying to shoot the door down.

"Oh Shit." Izzy stepped into her pod in her regulation green sports bra and panties, and looked to her best friend. For a moment it looked like Mina was going to just faint, stood there in her white lacy bra and panties. After what felt like a life time, she released a deep breath and gave Gwena her glasses.

"This is _not_ your fault little one." Gwena cried harder as Mina kissed her forehead, and backed into the pod.

"If we're doing this we need to do it now! They're trying to hack their way in!" Rodney roared from the main control panel, trying to juggle blocking their attempts to hack the system, and fire up the pods. "Hurry!"

"I am so sorry." Gwena cried hard and pressed a button with resounding grief.

The pod doors lowered over them.

Time seemed to slow to the two women then. Gwena ran over and put a hand on either of their pods, turning from one to the next with mortified eyes.

An air mask lowered from the ceiling and latched onto their faces.

The pod started to quickly fill with thick blue liquid, the same consistency as custard. As it got to their hips a metallic structure lowered from the pod's roof. It looked like a rib cage, and it encased them with eerie purpose. Mina started to whimper and pressed her hand against the glass with Gwena's rested.

It will be ok.

That's what she kept trying to think, hoping Gwena could hear her.

Izzy closed her eyes and calmed her heart beat.

Rodney looked to be doing a desperate dance from one part of the panel to the next, flashing his horrified gaze up at the two girls as they became completely submerged under the blue liquid.

That's when it started.

The ribs contracted around the girls, freaking them out considerably. Long tubes slid through the sides of the pod and finger length needles tipped the ends. Without any sort of warning or sedatives, the tubes impaled their thighs, hips, lower abdomen, upper abdomen, two in the chest, the upper biceps and one in each temple...

It burned.

Both women released a scream so tormented, so inhuman in raw suffering that Rodney froze in place in fear.

Even the banging at the door stopped.

No amount of therapy would ever help Rodney with the sight before him.

Their bodies writhed against their restraints at unnatural angles. Their faces distorted into inhuman agony. He turned to one side and vomited. The machine started shocking their bodies with jolts of electricity to supply energy to the process, stopping and starting their hearts at different stages. When he pulled himself back to his upright position he saw that there was a problem.

The Genii were draining power from the room.

NO! They'd die! If the process wasn't allowed to finish, they would die of shock!

"Shit!" Rodney attacked the control panel, working as fast as he could to divert all power to the pods and block the Genii from causing any further damage. Sparks started flying around the room, panels on the walls popping off with steam. "Shit, cooling system is going down!"

The doors blasted open and in came 6 Genii armed soldiers. They raised their guns and shot the control panel. "NOO!"

Rodney was sent flying from the explosion and crashed against a wall. He fell to his side and crumpled into a broken mess. He was bleeding from the back of his head, face, had a broken leg and at least 2 broken ribs. He stung all over but had to get up.

His friends were being killed. Those girls were still in those pods. Where was Gwena? Meredith Rodney McKay was a lot of things, but he wasn't a coward. He pushed up onto one elbow and looked around the room.

Gwena was stood in the middle of the room with the 6 men stood all around her, guns aimed at her.

Gwena however looked terrified...and confused. The men dropped their guns and gripped at their heads in pain. Gwena squealed and jumped backwards with fear. Blood started dripping from their ears, eyes, nose and gums as they screamed in agony. The fair haired wraith trembled as they started dropping like flies...and stopped moving. Rodney stared at Gwena and the bodies, not knowing what to think. Did she do that?

Bang.

Gwena jumped and screamed, looking around her.

"Rodney!" Gwena cried out and looked for him. "They're still in there!" Gwena banged against the pods, seeing the two women clawing at their necks desperately.

Rodney felt adrenaline tear through his broken and bleeding body.

The machines had been short circuited. They weren't working...which meant there was nothing supplying air to them.

"The panels _gone_. They shot at it." The girl ran over to the bodies and lifted one of their guns. She shot both pods and fell to her feet. Rodney couldn't help but think that was quick thinking on her part.

The glass shattered and blue liquid flooded the lab. Gwena scrambled over to Mina first, pulling the mask off her face. The woman gasped for air and sank to the bottom of the pod. Gwena freed Izzy, and somehow managed to pull the two women out of the pods and lay them on the floor. As they coughed and spluttered for air, Gwena mauled the power pack machine and Rodney stumbled over to the two women, expecting to see corpses.

What he _did_ see... "It worked..."

Laid on the floor panting and shivering were two fully grown Wraith Queens. Both had the same red eyes and face markings as Gwena, but both their body shapes and hair were different.

"...Rodney..." He flinched as one of them looked up at him. She had long glossy raven hair, piercing red eyes and sharp teeth peering through her panting full lips. "G-G w w"

"Reynolds?" He spat some blood from his mouth to one side and looked to her with worried eyes. Her arms and legs were very long, her shoulders strong and her figure delicately curvy. Her breasts were the same ample size as they were before, making her very lithe and voluptuous looking. Her skin was a pale blue, a vivid contrast to the darkness of her hair and the army green of her sports bra and panties. She nodded at him with dizzy eyes.

"...I am so-"

"Hungry." The other Wraith sat up and held her head, smoothing her fingers over the dotted markings around her eyes. Her long blood red hair fell over her chest in thick curtains. It was a good thing really, as her human A cup had expanded to a Wraith E cup and torn her lacy white bra to pieces. She had a strong supple body, from her toned thighs, wide hips, hour glass figure to her shoulders and elegant neck. Her skin was a dark blue and her eyes sharpened into red daggers as she felt her hunger burn through her.

"Oh god!"

"Out of the way!" Gwena pushed the startled scientist out of the way and dropped a power pack into each of their laps. "You need to feed on these packs. Like this." She tugged the women's hands over the packs and pressed them against it. "Come on, let it happen. Let it feel natural. Please!" she sobbed, knowing what would happen if they didn't feed soon. The girl shivered as she touched their skin. the thick blue liquid covered the women like a fine sheen of oil. It stuck to their hair and clung to their skin. "That's it Izzy." She smiled at the raven haired Wraith through her tears. She had stared at the pack for a few moments, before releasing a chilling hiss. The yellow liquid started to drain from the pack and into her hand.

The redhead watched the process and finally repeated it herself. "Good Mina. That's great. Now, do you know who you are?"

"What do you mean do they know who they are?!"

"Memory loss is a potential symptom." Gwena chided to one side, fixating instead on her beloved friends.

"Are there any _other_ potential symptoms I should know about!?" Rodney held his ribs with pain, shuffling backwards. He didn't particularly like this situation, nor his own proximity to a pair of hungry Wraith Queens...

"Nothing I can't deal with." Gwena gulped. "Especially since I don't have a choice."

"Gwena..." Izzy peeled her hand away from the empty pouch and stared at the younger Wraith with dizzy eyes. "What..."

"Do you remember what's happening? We're under attack." Gwena jumped as gunfire rocketed down the corridor. "Shit, we're not safe here. Any minute-"

"The Genii." Izzy snarled at the doorway, her thick blue lips peeling back over sharp fangs.

"They are killing our people." Mina held her chest. "Where is my bra?"

"No time." Gwena pulled the pile of discarded clothes in front of her. "Just put your green tank tops back on." they clumsily did so, still feeling the after affects of their radical transformation. "Trust me, your trousers won't fit now. You have wider hips than most Wraith."

"Why?" Mina wobbled to her feet, putting her arms out to steady herself. The gunfire was getting closer.

"Probably to do with your designed purpose of childbirth." Rodney snapped, hopping over dead bodies to get behind the smoking terminal. "Now hide!" he ducked down, praying he wouldn't die that day.

A squad of Genii insurgents ran into the room and immediately did a double take. They skidded back outside and aimed inside from around the door frames.

"Sir, this is Rayad. There are Wraith here. I repeat, there are _Wraith_ here!"

"Commander, you need to look at this."

"Not now!" Sam snapped at Radek, turning to scan her eyes over the scene before her. They were pinned behind one of the entrances to the gate room. She had lead three teams on the assault to take the gate room back, and lost half her men. If she survived this she would be devastated for their loss. No leader wanted to let any of their men down, or loss any of them so needlessly as this. She had spoken over the speaker system to the leader of the insurgents, asking what he wanted. He simply said 'Atlantis', before throwing flash grenades down the hall ways and pushing them back further. She even asked if they would allow her to lead her people out of the city and surrender it to them.

They had said no.

Basically, they wanted the city, and they were going to kill anyone they found. Sam couldn't help but think of the civilians around the base. The Athosians and their children... "John! Thank god. _Tell _me you managed to get three shield devices we found on the last mission?" she had sent SGA1 to slip through the Genii rebel defences and get as much ammo as they could. John had mentioned the shield devices and a plan started to form in her head.

"Yes Mam. they don't have much juice in them, but they'll last for a little while." John nodded, handing out new clips to everyone. "What are our orders commander?"

"John, you and I are going to lead a wave into the gate room. We'll throw smoke grenades first and aim for the two main units up on the balcony. Beckett." She snapped, pulling the doctor away from the wounded soldier he was patching up.

"Yes Mam?"

"You wear the third and give as much medical aid to our men as possible. We have two wounded in their custody and once we've cleared the area, you need to tend to them ASAP."

"Yes Mam." John handed Carlson the diamond shaped device, and told him not to activate it until it was absolutely necessary.

"Teyla, Ronan, I want you to lead the unit having our six. We will have _one_ shot at this. We can't mess up."

"Mam!" Sam resisted the urge to growl at her pesky sergeant.

"What Minesty? What is so urgent that I have to look at it _now_?" She hissed, making the young sergeant tremble as he held a familiar ancient device up for her inspection. It was the life sign detector. "So? We've already counted how many men are in the gate room. Why do I-"

"I zoomed out to make sure no extra units were coming this way. And look..." Sam grumbled and took the device.

"...oh...my God." She stared at the screen, not faltering once as John snatched it off her.

"...wha? how did-but it's impossible! There should only be _one_ red dot! How did we get another two Wraith in the city?!" he narrowed his eyes on the red dots, and made another discovery. "They're coming this way. And fast." John shoved the device into his jacket and took the safety of his p-90. "Commander?"

"But one of those dots has to be Gwena, right?" Sam yanked the device back of Sheppard, staring at the screen. "All three Wraith signatures are coming this way as one group. But why? And how did the other two get in?"

"Particularly as there are no hanger bay doors, no potential landing sites or any unmanned routes between those labs and the gate room." Radek added, making an explosive light bulb go off in Sam's head.

"...they came from...the labs?"

"AAAAAAAAA WRAITH!" Sam jumped and everyone aimed their weapons down the corridor. They could hear Genii insurgents screaming and running for their lives, shooting at _something_...

"What do we do Sam? Shoot on sight?" John flashed his eyes at the commander, seeing cogs turning in her head. "Sam?"

The screaming stopped.

The firing stopped.

And round the corner came three Wraith Queens, all holding hands and walking with determination.

A tall one with hair like a raven.

A smaller one with hair like snow.

A curvy one with hair like blood.

And all with blazing red eyes.

"Stop where you are right now and state your names!" Sam barked, confusing the hell out of everyone. "Names! Now!"

The three Queens stopped once they were in talking distance. The tall one with long black hair snapped one hand to her forehead and saluted her.

"Lieutenant Isabelle Reynolds reporting for duty Mam!"

John nearly dropped his gun.

"And you know it's me, Gwena." The younger woman waved her hand nervously.

"And I'm Dr Mina Swift." The redheaded queen smiled, freaking them out further.

"What?!" John turned his head away from them to look at the commander. "Did you _know_ about this?"

"No. I-" the party ducked behind the walls and avoided another round of plasma blasts coming from the bridge. "What the hell happened to you two?!"

"We had no other choice commander. Kick our asses later, k?" Izzy threw her arms out and released a large snarl. The firing stopped, no doubt from the fear she instilled in the enemy forces in the gate room. "We need to clean house. Gwena?"

"On it Izzy." The younger Wraith pulled away from her guardians and splayed her hands at either side of her head, palms facing the same direction as her fiery eyes. "There are..." she swayed her upper body eerily and purred sibilantly under her breath. "...12 to the left, 30 ahead, and 5 to the right. All armed, but have less than half their rounds left. 11 of them are injured."

"I'll take the front, you take the right. Mina?"

"The left?" the redhead peeled her lips back over her sharp teeth and hissed, arms thrown back and shoulders arched with her low stance. "Like before?"

"_Just_ like before." Izzy counted down to 0 with her fingers and the three alien women bolted through the doorway.

Sam, John, Ronan and the rest of the squad peered around the doorway and watched in awe and horror as their resident Wraith Queen's sprang into action.

The pale shadows of fake Wraith soldiers blurred around the gate room. Gwena used her mind to repel the five Genii soldiers in turn, disarming them and back handing them into unconsciousness. Pretty straight forward really.

Isabelle roared into the middle of the hysterical soldiers and with the speed and agility of wonder woman (or rather a blue life sucking version) planted her feet, elbows, fists and even her skull into the faces and bodies of the Genii rebels. She only had to connect with each man once before they fell to the floor, screaming and bleeding. Her raven man whipped around with her as she snapped her body from one foe to the next. She popped her hips to roundhouse kick the last of her group, and jerked her head up to check on Gwena and Mina.

The redhead was even more terrifying, simply reaching with long and supple fingers and swaying her body. She looked like a cobra, hypnotising her pray into crying in fear and falling to the ground, out cold. Some of them screamed and held their heads first, taking more force to relent to her mind. One of them managed to charge forward and she touched his face.

He instantly lost consciousness and crumpled on the floor in a heap, his nose bled out over his lips.

"Clear?" Izzy yelled. Gwena had galloped back over to her and clung to her body.

"Clear."

The three Wraith converged by the doorway holding hands and taking each step very slowly. Izzy was in the middle and brought the group to a stop before a very stunned SGA unit.

"We were in a very dire situation, saw no other alternative, and made our way through the levels towards the gate room. We've incapacitated the Genii, tied up who we could, and I suggest a tactical team apprehend and escort the prisoners to holding cells, commander Carter Mam!" she saluted and finished her report.

"But...but..._Wraith_?!"

"Dr Beckett." Gwena piped up, still holding onto Izzy's pale blue arm and leaning towards the stunned doctor. "Rodney did his best to protect us and has many injuries, some very serious ones. He is still in the 23rd level lab."

"Oh, right." He cleared his throat and looked to Sam. "Shall I kick the rescue teams into gear now commander?"

"Yes Carson, please do."

"And I'll go and lead those tactical units?" John didn't want to even try to be one of the ones who had to A, debrief the three Wraith, or B, figure out what to do with them now.

"Y-yes John. Take your team with you..." Sam seemed to be thinking a mile a minute and getting close to burning out. "So, Reynolds?" she pointed at the raven haired Wraith, who nodded. "And Dr Swift?"

"Yes commander. Trust me, the situation was dire. We would have died had we not done this, as would have many other members of the expedition had we not-"

"Become Wraith?!" Sam clipped her gun to her front and ran her hands back through her short blonde hair. "You are Wraith Queens. Permanent Wraith Queens."

"Well perhaps..." Mina started, then turned to look at Gwena, who looked about ready to bawl her eyes out. "...oh...I see. The Genii sufficiently destroyed our only means of reversing the transformation." Mina gulped and opened her arms for the child to run into her, and bury her sobbing face into her chest. "We knew the risks."

"Yes. We did." Izzy put one of her hands on Mina's shoulder and turned sadly to look at her commander. "We are just like Gwena now. All blue and eaters of yellow goo." Izzy giggled and her two friends seemed to cling to each other even tighter. "We're still in here commander. Be gentle with us."

"Oh, of course Leu...Isabelle."

"Oh, no rank now then." She sighed sadly and put on a brave smile. "Nah, I guess uncle Sam doesn't have Wraith in their ranks huh?"

"I-it's just-there isn't any sort of contingency for this sort of thing you know." Sam held her radio on her front closer to her face and leaned into it. "This is a level 4 announcement that needs to be circulated to the entire base. We have three friendly Wraith Queens in custody who were once human. They saved the base from the Genii invasion and are not to be fired upon. I repeat, they are _not_ to be fired upon. Carter out." Sam held her gun out of habit and cautiously walked round the sorry looking Wraith women and indicated for them to follow her. "I am going to need you three to debrief me in full in my office, and I'll think of what the hell to do with you."


End file.
